Family Planning and Reproductive Health

  • A pharmacist speaks to customers

    USAID's family planning programs engage the private sector to accelerate progress on the Journey to Self-Reliance.

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  • Gender Champions cover core family planning and health topics, engaging in reflective dialogue with young couples.

    “Gender Champions” share their journeys to transform gender norms in faith communities

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  • Jane Mwaliego (far right) leads her local group to support community members to get tested for HIV and, if found to be positive, to start and stay on treatment.

    Generating response from the grassroots

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  • A mother holds her baby while speaking to a health care worker

    In Malawi, citizens find solutions to improve midwifery and maternity care

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Speeches Shim

 

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) advances and supports voluntary family planning and reproductive health programs in nearly 40 countries across the globe. Greater access to family planning information and services can help:

 

  • Reduce Maternal Deaths by 30% Annually
  • Save 1.4 Million Children Under 5 each Year
  • Save $6 for every $1 Invested
  • Achieve 17 Global Goals by 2030
 

Benefits of Family Planning

Icon of a Mom and BabyProtects women's and children's health by reducing high-risk pregnancies and allowing sufficient time between pregnancies

Icon of a red AIDS ribbonReduces HIV and AIDS through the prevention of new HIV infections and mother-to-child transmission via increased access to voluntary family planning information, services and commodities, including condoms

Icon of a stethoscopeDecreases abortion

 

Icon of a familyAdvances individuals' rights to decide their own family size

Icon of graduation capImproves women's opportunities for education, employment and full participation in society

Icon of a arrow pointing up with a dollar signReduces poverty by contributing to economic growth at the family, community and national levels

Icon of three people in a circleMitigates the impact of population dynamics on natural resources and state stability

Almost 923 million women worldwide wish to avoid or delay pregnancy, and about three-quarters of these women are currently using a modern contraceptive method. Yet, more than 218 million women still have an unmet need for family planning.

When a woman has children too closely together, too early or too late in life, the health of the mother and baby are at risk. Enabling couples and individuals to determine whether, when and how often to have children is vital to safe motherhood, healthy families and prosperous communities.

Our Work

As the world's largest family planning bilateral donor, USAID is committed to helping countries meet the family planning and reproductive health needs of their people. USAID supports Family Planning 2020's goal to reach 120 million more women and girls in the world's poorest countries with access to voluntary family planning information, contraceptives, and services by 2020.

When USAID launched its family planning program in 1965, fewer than 10 percent of women in the developing world (excluding China) were using a modern contraceptive method, and the average family size was over six. Today, in the 31 countries where USAID focuses its support, modern contraceptive prevalence has increased to 32 percent, and the average family size has dropped to 4.2. USAID's work in reproductive health also focuses on ending child marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, gender-based violence and more.

Follow USAID's work in family planning through an interactive timeline marking some of our major milestones over the past 50 years.

 

Our Impact

 

 

 

 

 

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