Elements of Family Planning Success

This series is produced by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Family (HNP) of the World
Bank's Human Development Network. The papers in this series aim to provide a vehicle for
publishing preliminary and unpolished results on HNP topics to encourage discussion and
debate. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of
the author(s) and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated
organizations or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent.

This new policy brief from the Population Reference Bureau highlights five “next generation” contraceptives, each of which offers one or more advantages over similar earlier methods. These innovations are among those expected to enter the market within five years and can assist country programs to make contraception more accessible and attractive to women and couples.

A new policy brief from the Population Reference Bureau looks at the effects of long-term investment in an integrated family planning and maternal and child health program. Drawing on research and data that spans more than 30 years, the evidence reinforces the importance of sustained investment in reproductive health programs, showing that families in communities where the program was implemented became wealthier and healthier than families who lived in other, similar communities.

This compendium was developed with the help of many individuals. At the request of the USAID East Africa Regional Mission with the Inter-agency Gender Working Group (USAID), MEASURE Evaluation developed this compendium in collaboration with a technical advisory group (TAG) of experts. The goal was to develop a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers who are working to address violence against women and girls (VAW/G) at the individual, community, district/provincial and national levels in developing countries.

This paper focuses specifically on the prevention of unintended pregnancies in HIV-infected women who do not wish to become pregnant as an effective strategy for reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV

The Private Sector Partnerships-One (PSP-One) project and the World Health Organization’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research (WHO/RHR) continue to work together in support of increasing access to reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) through the private health sector in Africa. In December 2006, PSP-One and WHO/RHR co-sponsored a consultation meeting on Public Policy and Reproductive Health Franchising and produced a joint guidance note on the evidence and future direction of private provider networks and franchising of RH/FP services.

Funding for international family planning programs in developing countries has declined by 30% since the mid-1990s. Decisions by policymakers and donors to reduce investments in contraceptive services and supplies were based on plausible-sounding—but misguided—arguments. “Donor fatigue” and persistent opposition from conservative governments and institutions contribute this decline.

This Population Council news release exposes some common myths about family planning, and reveals the facts.

The intended audience for this handbook includes reproductive health (RH) program managers and government and NGO policy makers. It can be used in countries where ECPs are not currently available, as well as in contexts where the intention is to expand or mainstream access to existing ECP services. The handbook:

- Recognizes the different needs of diverse segments of the population, and places additional emphasis on targeting ECP services to “special groups,” which include rape survivors and adolescents.

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).

This manual is intended to promote positive health outcomes for mothers, newborns, and infants by improving health workers' skills in fostering healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP). It provides practical information and guidance on how to conduct a two-day training for primary health facility-based health workers in providing postpartum family planning information, education, and counselling, and in increasing postpartum women's access to all family planning (FP) methods and services.