Elements of Family Planning Success

We investigate the association between maternal mortality and demographic, programmatic, and socioeconomic factors using longitudinal data on nearly 143,000 pregnancy outcomes during 1982-2002 from the Matlab Demographic Surveillance System. Among the four “toos” that are commonly believed to increase maternal mortality risk – too young, too short an interval, too many children, and too old -- only too old is found to be a significant risk factor. Controlling for gravidity, women under age 25 have the lowest risk of maternal mortality, which then increases sharply with age.

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 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

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. In this article, the Population Council’s John Bongaarts and co-author Steven W. Sinding aim to set the record straight and to urge that family planning become a higher priority on the international development agenda.

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 Population Reports issue is the flagship publication of the "Elements of Family Planning Success" initiative that identified the top 10 elements most important to the success of family planning programs in coordination with health care professionals from around the world. The report synthesizes online discussions about these elements and highlights program experiences, best practices, and evidence-based guidance derived from nearly six decades in international family planning.

This short publication offers clear suggestions for programme managers to address unmet need for family planning in the face of current political, financial, and health-systems challenges. It also comprises the 25th anniversary issue of Outlook, which since 1983, has synthesized the latest scientific research and evidence on effective reproductive health programming and made it available to programme managers, policymakers, health care providers, researchers, and educators around the world.

The Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use – one of the four cornerstones of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) evidence-based family planning guidance – provides evidence-based recommendations on whether an individual can safely use a contraceptive method. This guideline is intended for use by policy-makers, programme managers, and the scientific community in the preparation of national family planning/sexual and reproductive health programmes for delivery of contraceptives.

You are cordially invited to explore and utilize the new Resource Package for Family Planning and Beyond: The ACQUIRE Project Digital Archive at http://www.acquireproject.org/archive

Programming for Training: A Resource Package for Trainers, Program Managers, and Supervisors of Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programs