View the latest family planning advocacy news from our partners.
On September 27, 2018, the Governing Board of the State Innovations in Family Planning Services Project Agency (SIFPSA)[1] approved a proposal to establish youth centers in 40 colleges across Uttar Pradesh. The proposal included a budget of 14.8 million Indian rupees (INR) (US $207,500) and an operational plan for all 18 divisions in the state.
On December 13, 2018, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a revised comprehensive public health bill into law. For the first time, the law creates a new legal environment favorable to family planning and reproductive health, repealing and replacing a colonial law from 1920 prohibiting any form of action against or preventing procreation.
February 13, 2019
A new law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) now requires mining companies to support socially-responsible programs, and prominent leaders are calling on the companies to invest in family planning. Following a request from the President of the DRC, in December 2018, civil society members met with government leaders and over 20 mining companies to discuss options for including family planning in their social responsibility strategies.
In September 2018, Nigeria’s Essential Medicines List (EML) committee approved inclusion of subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC). This decision ensures a more sustainable procurement plan for the injectable contraceptive and permits the private health sector to access and provide it.
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On October 9, 2018, during the national family planning validation meeting, Kenya’s Ministry of Health amended its family planning guidelines to allow pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists throughout the country to provide subcutaneous and intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC and DMPA-IM). This policy change opens up an alternative for women and adolescents who may be reluctant to seek contraception at health facilities.
On September 6, 2018, the National Technical Committee of Bangladesh approved a pilot project to introduce subcutaneous DMPA (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate)—often marketed as Sayana® Press—for self-injection. The pilot will assess the contraceptive method’s acceptability and feasibility within the National Family Planning Program.
On July 18, 2018, in a State of the Nation address, President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) made a strong statement in support of family planning.
In June, the Government of India earmarked $409,470 to expand its “Ensuring Spacing at Birth” scheme across all 34 districts in Maharashtra. Advocates initially sought to extend the effort into one district, but incited a larger advocacy movement for state-wide expansion. Consequently, the scheme allocation for Maharashtra state is a sevenfold increase (646%) from the previous year’s budget of $54,899.
Barpeta, Darrang, Dhubri, and Morigaon districts in the state of Assam, India are beginning to see results after establishing a comprehensive mechanism to provide family planning counselling and services for eligible couples in public health facilities.
In June, Kapchorwa district council in Uganda approved a framework developed entirely by local community stakeholders to monitor and track family planning supplies to the last mile. The first of its kind, the plan does not require funding and involves all stakeholders in the commodity supply chain to ensure that each one safeguards access to family planning and reproductive health commodities.