View the latest family planning advocacy news from our partners.
Advance Family Planning (AFP) received a $750,000 grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to sustain its advocacy initiative. The grant will strengthen AFP's advocacy efforts to make quality, voluntary family planning easier to access for women and girls around the world.
In an agenda-setting policy statement to parliamentarians on February 5, 2016, Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba recommended integrating sexual and reproductive health modules into curricula for students aged 10-24. A majority of the country’s 125 parliamentarians then voted to prioritize it on the Prime Minister’s agenda. More than four months in the making, this advocacy win represents a remarkable step forward in expanding access to family planning information for young people in Burkina Faso.
On March 2, 2016 the Kongo-Central province of the Democratic Republic of Congo established a Provincial Permanent Technical Multi-sectoral Committee on Family Planning (CTMPP). The committee is comprised of local government, civil society, and faith-based organization leaders. Kongo-Central is the fourth province in the country to establish a CTMPP. Following the lead of the National CTMP, each works to be a strong driver of family planning advocacy in their province.
In early March 2016, a high-level delegation from Nepal’s Ministry of Health family planning division and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) visited Indonesia. The tour aimed to showcase Indonesia’s successful advocacy and social and behavior change communication approaches, which could be relevant to the Nepali context.
On February 12, 2016, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Constitutional Court declared that reproductive health is fundamental to the principles of health. This critical decision will allow the National Assembly to review the proposed reproductive health law to ensure family planning access for all women in the DRC.
Update: View the latest version of Investing in Family Planning for Tanzania's Health and Development (October 2016), updated with data from the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16.
In January, Advance Family Planning (AFP) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR) jointly launched Ampliando El Acceso, or “Expanding Access.” The one-year, independently funded project seeks to expand contraceptive access for youth in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico by strengthening local advocacy efforts. The goal is to meet young people’s needs for contraceptive information, services, and supplies—much needed in the region.
On June 18, 2015, organizations working in family planning in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo established a Provincial Permanent Technical Multi-sectorial Committee (CTMPP) on Family Planning. The CTMPP is comprised of local government, civil society, and faith-based organization leaders. Following the lead of the National CTMP, it aims to be a strong driver of family planning advocacy in the province. Women in South Kivu have an average of 7.7 children and married women’s use of modern contraceptives is only 8% (DHS 2013-14).
On October 30, 2015, under the high patronage of His Excellence the Governor of Kinshasa, the Provincial Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Humanitarian Actions officially established the Permanent Technical Multisectorial Committee (CTMP) for Family Planning in the City-Province of Kinshasa, the coordinating office of which is presided by ASF/PSI (Coordinator), and assisted by PATHFINDER (Deputy Coordinator).
March 23, 2016
Advance Family Planning (AFP) is deeply saddened by the March 19 passing of Dr. Hanuni Sogora, a life-long advocate and friend of the AFP family.
“Dr. Sogora was a true leader and generous champion for women and girls and the people of Zanzibar,” said AFP Executive Director Beth Fredrick. “She believed strongly that family planning was a right, not a privilege.”
Advance Family Planning mourns the loss of Willard (Ward) Cates Jr., a true champion of public health, since his passing on March 17. Ward was a pioneer researcher in the fields of women's reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
“Aside from being a giant in our field, Ward was one of the nicest, most gracious people I have ever known,” said AFP Director Duff Gillespie.
Advance Family Planning (AFP) has received an $18 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to sustain and expand its advocacy initiative. The grant will strengthen AFP's advocacy efforts to make quality, voluntary family planning easier to access for women and girls around the world.