Over 400,000 Unintended Pregnancies Prevented Since July2017

While almost one-in-three married women aged15-49 have unmet need for modern contraception, the report shows Afghanistan ismaking significant progress in family planning and taking their commitmentsseriously.

Beyond Afghanistan, the report shows morewomen and girls than ever before are making the voluntary choice to usecontraception in the world's 69 lowest-income countries.

The report entitled FP2020: Catalyzing Collaboration has been produced by FamilyPlanning 2020 (FP2020) - a global partnership that supports the rights of womenand girls to freely decide whether, when, and how many children they want tohave.  The report for the first time everincludes new data on government spending on family planning inAfghanistan.  The report -- availableelectronically [progress.familyplanning2020.org]shows:

In Afghanistan:

• Domestic government spending onfamily planning of $1.1 million (2016) -- for comparison with other countriessee page 23 of report at above link.
• A youth health line is nowavailable in all Provinces and offers health information including familyplanning and reproductive health information to individuals who call in.
• In Afghanistan, among all womenaged 15-49, an estimated 13.9% or 1.2 million are using a modern method ofcontraception in 2018. This is 343,000 more than in 2012.
• The modern contraceptiveprevalence rate is estimated to have increased to over 20% among married women.
• As a result of moderncontraceptive use between July 2017 and July 2018:

              ○    407,000 unintended pregnancieswere prevented

              ○    163,000 unsafe abortions wereaverted

              ○    910 maternal deaths were averted

• However, 28.1% of married womenaged 15-49 have an unmet need for a modern method of contraception

Globally:

• The number of women and girlsusing a modern method of contraception in the world's 69 poorest countries hadgrown to more than 317 million, as of July 2018.
• This is 46 million more users thanin 2012 (the year FP2020 was launched) -- an increase that is around 30% greaterthan the historic trend.

Executive Director of Family Planning 2020,Beth Schlachter said:

"Rights-basedfamily planning is a catalyst that unlocks the potential of girls and women inAfghanistan and around the world. Our goal is to ensure that each one is ableto exercise her basic rights to self-determination, health, dignity, andequality. This is a core strategy for countries to improve the health andwell-being of their citizens and economy.

"Womenrepresent half the global population, and there can be no healthy populationglobally or in Afghanistan without reproductive health care.  As we continue to build the framework forUniversal Health Coverage (UHC), we must ensure access to full, free, voluntarycontraception is included for all women and girls.  As countries build UHC strategies,rights-based family planning and SRHR services must be integrated withinprimary health care systems."

Interviews aboutthe report, and its significance in Afghanistan are available with Dr. GhutaiSadeq Yaqubi, Family Planning/ RHCS Program Manager, RMNCAH Directorate,Ministry of Public Health.  If you wouldlike an in interview, or have written questions, please reach out directly byemail to ghutai.mophrhd@gmail.com.

A fact sheet withmore data specific to Afghanistan from the new report, as well as photo imagesyou are welcome to use, can be found here [https://we.tl/t-N6t2UUf3Xs].If attribution is needed, please attribute to Family Planning 2020.

The report is being launched at theInternational Conference on Family Planning. Please follow and join in the conversation at:

Twitter: @FP2020Global

Facebook: /FamilyPlanning2020

YouTube:FP2020Global

More background onthe Afghanistan's recent actions relating to family planning can be found athttps://www.familyplanning2020.org/afghanistan.