Abstract
Background: An important question is whether the FP2020’s “120 million additional users” goal exacerbated inequities and led to a prioritization of populations within countries where substantial gains towards the goal could be made. We examine FP2020 country data and policies for signs of inequity in gains in modern contraceptive prevalence (MCP) and in the focus of family planning programs and policies. Methods: We selected 11 countries (Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) to conduct a bivariate analysis. We evaluated if MCP growth had been equitable by assessing MCP between two surveys stratified by residence, levels of education, age groups, marital status, and wealth. Results: In most countries, MCP increased among rural women and in seven African countries these gains were significant. In six countries, MCP gains were significant both among women with no education and in the lowest wealth group. MCP gains among young women aged 15-19 and 20-24 were seen in four African countries: Malawi, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that between two surveys since 2010 many countries saw MCP gains across different dimensions of equity and do not suggest a focus on expanded coverage at the expense of equity. As the family planning community begins to look ahead to the next partnership, this analysis can help inform the emerging FP2030 framework, which includes equity as a guiding principle.
Highlights
In 2012 at the London Summit on Family Planning, key family planning partners came together to reinvigorate the family planning movement and accelerate progress toward universal access to family planning
While Family Planning 2020 partnership (FP2020) annual progress reporting relies on nationallevel modeled estimates of modern contraceptive prevalence (MCP), in this analysis we focused on survey data because models do not yet produce estimates for the majority of the dimensions of inequity examined in this paper
A criticism of the “120 million additional users” goal of the FP2020 partnership had been that countries and partners might prioritize easier to reach populations to meet this target, which exacerbates inequities
Summary
In 2012 at the London Summit on Family Planning, key family planning partners came together to reinvigorate the family planning movement and accelerate progress toward universal access to family planning. The summit led to the creation of the Family Planning 2020 partnership (FP2020) with the aim of improving access to voluntary family planning information and services and enable 120 million additional women to use modern contraceptives in 69 focus countries by 2020. Advocates pointed toward family planning’s past experiences of coercion and targets, warning that the FP2020 goal could lead to a focus on numbers and prioritization of easier to reach populations. One outcome of this early concern was a call by the family planning community for a clear focus on rights and empowerment as guiding principles of the FP2020 partnership. As the family planning community begins to look ahead to the partnership, this analysis can help inform the emerging FP2030 framework, which includes equity as a guiding principle
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