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: Family planning

News from Population Matters.

  • Family planning gets European funding boost

    Funding for sexual health and family planning from European donor countries increased by 17% between 2016 and 2017, with the UK remaining one of the largest donors. The latest annual…

  • Stigma and fears – barriers to family planning in Africa

    A new study shows again the high “unmet need” for modern contraception among young, married women in sub-Saharan Africa – and identifies social and cultural bariers as significant reasons for…

  • Progress in family planning – but a long road ahead

    Last week, Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) released its annual report. The project is designed to enable 120 more million women and girls in the world’s poorest countries to use modern contraception…

  • Running to stand still? Meeting family planning targets.

    A new report shows that the world is still not on track to meet contraceptive use goals by 2020, largely due to lack of government action and funding shortfalls.  Slow progress The…

  • Campaigning for more UK aid for family planning

    Access to family planning services is vital to poverty reduction and the success of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This was the message delivered by Population Matters volunteers, who spent…

  • US ends funding for United Nations Population Fund

    On Monday, the US declared it was cutting its funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – an agency that promotes family planning in more than 150 countries – threatening the health…

  • One step forward, two steps back in African economic development?

    Despite significant progress in recent years, Malawi’s government is concerned that young Malawis will inherit only poverty as economic gains are neutralised by population growth.  Malawi sees an increase in…

  • UN population report: progress, but much to do

    Placeholder lead The new State of the World Population 2018 report published by the United Nations Population Fund highlights the importance of having the power to choose the timing, number, and spacing…

  • Matters Not forgetting the men…

    Placeholder lead With a rightful focus on women’s unmet need for contraception and the roles of female education and women’s empowerment in family planning, the importance of male contraception can…

  • Tanzanian president: “birth control is for the lazy”

    UPDATE 25 September 2018 Since this story was written, the Tanzanian government has ordered a US health charity to withdraw television advertisements promoting family planning. This worrying development suggests that…