| The rural sector of Egypt includes 4 200 villages constituting 60% of the population. The first national rural health plan, started in 1942, involved the establishment of a health centre for every 15 000-20 000 persons. By 1962, awareness of the need for greater emphasis on preventive and public health was reflected in the decision to create smaller units, each serving 5 000 persons. To meet this objective, 2 500 rural health units were required. For every three health units, a "referral mother centre" was to be established. Some planning changes have taken place since then, including the involvement of village people in the projects, and the provision of 50% of centre funds by local governments. Specialist visits are scheduled at regular intervals to augment the services offered by these small units. A rural health care delivery organizational chart and an outline of the categories and numbers of health workers for each rural health centre and unit are included in the paper. |