Elements of Family Planning Success

Funding for reproductive health services is stagnant or declining globally; yet population projections, particularly in Africa, indicate that the demand for services will increase in the near term.  With this growth will come increased demand for contraception, as well as other reproductive health services such as antenatal care, safe birthing services, and postpartum care for both mothers and children. Concern about increasing demand for reproductive health services has led program managers to examine the productivity and costs of existing programs. While all programs can advocate for additional funds from their governments and establish or increase prices for services to clients, often they can also use their existing resources more efficiently. Evidence from reproductive health programs across developing countries suggests that service providers are often underutilized.