Elements of Family Planning Success

To draw attention to the significant contribution of family planning to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, has completed and updated analyses for more than 30 countries. The analyses demonstrate how family planning can help countries achieve the MDGs by improving health outcomes (e.g., fewer maternal and child deaths) and by reducing costs for meeting the goals (by reducing the size of the target populations in need of services). For each country, the project has also created briefs and PowerPoint presentations to share the findings in a compelling, user-friendly manner. The FP-MDG analyses are influential advocacy tools because they use country-specific goals, data, and trends; provide evidence-based analyses to complement advocacy efforts; can be tailored to various issues of interest; and bolster appeals to both economic and public health concerns. The MDG briefs are available at www.healthpolicyinitiative.com. (Click on the link above or go to the project's Publications page and select "MDG Briefs" as the document type). Briefs are available in French and Spanish, where relevant.