Explainer: How family planning saves lives

2
Explainer: How family planning saves lives

“I will never allow my daughter to go through what happened to me,” she told UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency.

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

Two Thai peer educator high school students describe a range of available condoms.

Cost-effective humanitarian interventions

Family planning is cost effective.

In 2023, more than 50 countries that received UNFPA contraceptive supplies made collective savings of over $700 million through reduced healthcare costs for pregnancy, delivery and post-abortion care.

Numerous studies have shown that family planning is a critical investment for society, not only by averting unintended pregnancy and the maternal health problems that accompany it, but also by increasing education and employment gains among women.

In humanitarian settings, contraceptives are all the more critical, helping women and families survive and stabilise and leaving them better prepared to recover.

No one knows this better than survivors of humanitarian crises themselves

“There is a lot of demand for family planning services,” one emergency responder said in the immediate aftermath of a deadly cyclone.

Amid the world’s growing precarity, rising catastrophes and increasing displacements, these services are a light in the dark for women and girls around the world.

As Ms. Opikuko in Venezuela said, “I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

Learn more about UNFPA here.

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. They do not reflect the views of the website and this website does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.