View the latest family planning advocacy news from our partners.
In July, the government of Bhilwara district in Rajasthan formally acknowledged Advance Family Planning local partner Pathfinder International India for their contribution towards improving family planning services in the area. Their advocacy led to Bhilwara becoming the first district in Rajasthan state to launch injectable contraceptives in the public health system.
On July 1, 2017, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced that the government allocated US $2.5 million dollars for the purchase of contraceptives in fiscal year 2017. The allocation ensures the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Family Planning (2014-2020), which aims to increase the 2013 modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 6.5% to 19% by 2020.
In May 2017, Kenya’s Machakos county approved a first-time budget allocation of 20 million Kenyan Shillings (US $200,000) for family planning in the 2017/2018 fiscal year[i]. This significant investment accomplishes one of the five objectives laid out in Machakos’s family planning costed implementation plan, launched in March.
Jindal Stainless Ltd., one of the largest stainless steel conglomerates in India, recently added a family planning intervention to their corporate social responsibility program. Jindal Stainless Foundation invested 819,500 Indian rupees (US $12,800) for a project aiming to reach 1,000 beneficiaries with better family planning information and counseling services.
Advance Family Planning (AFP) held a diffusion workshop on June 19-23rd in Uttarakhand, India—the first in a series to be held in different regions where AFP works. The five-day workshop aimed to build facilitation skills in applying AFP’s SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) advocacy approach as well as provide participants with the opportunity to develop a SMART advocacy objective to implement.
In June 2017, Indonesia’s provincial government of West Kalimantan allocated IDR 470 million (US $35,300) of its own funds to scale up 14 family planning advocacy district working groups in 2018—12 of which are newly formed. This win for sustainable, locally-funded advocacy builds on years of efforts to improve information and services for couples in West Kalimantan.
In a sign of Burkina Faso’s dedication to family planning, the Minister of Health appointed Anne Thieba, wife of Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba, as an ambassador. Mrs. Thieba’s appointment comes as Burkina Faso finalizes its second family planning costed implementation plan aiming for a contraceptive prevalence rate of 32% by 2020. This significant show of political support will help the Ministry of Health and its partners intensify efforts.
In May 2017, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and Women Deliver launched the Advocating for Change for Adolescents! toolkit. Developed by young people, for young people, the toolkit is a practical guide for in-country youth networks to design, implement, and monitor an effective national advocacy action roadmap on adolescent health and wellbeing.
Rajasthan became the second state in India to provide injectable contraceptives (intramuscular DMPA) free of cost in 132 public health facilities on May 27, thanks to a public, private, and non-profit partnership.
As of May, three more drugs are included on the essential drugs list for Rajasthan state in India, ensuring that they will be available at the primary health center level. These drugs are vital for new injectable contraceptive users. The addition to the list was achieved in time for the May 27, 2017 roll-out of injectable contraceptive services at Rajasthan’s primary health centers.
Two districts in India’s Rajasthan state established counseling corners in local public health facilities in April. The private, dedicated counseling spaces ensure that clients can make informed decisions regarding family planning.
For the first time in Jharkhand state, two districts established family planning counseling corners at 13 community health centers. Established between January and March in Bokaro and Ranchi districts, the counseling corners are dedicated spaces for a skilled provider to provide quality family planning counseling to clients.