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Family Planning
Maternal
Health
Every year, there are 66 million unintended
pregnancies and more than 500,000 women
die from pregnancy-related causes. Almost all
of these deaths take place in developing countries,
where the lifetime risk of pregnancy-related
death averages one in every 65 women.
PSIs reproductive health programs focus on improving the lives
of families in the developing world through family planning (FP)
and maternal
health products and services.
Healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies is recognized as a
significant health-improving
and life-saving measure for mothers and
children. PSIs programs in reproductive health
increase knowledge of birth spacing and access
to a range of affordable, quality reproductive
health products and services, including natural methods.
In the coming decade, rising demand for contraceptives is expected
to surpass donor
funding. Contraceptive social marketing
represents one promising and cost-effective
approach that can help fill this gap, acting as a
bridge between free or highly subsidized public
sector programs and commercial approaches. Products and services
are sold rather than given away. When those who are able move
away from public sector subsidies by assuming
a small share of the cost, limited public sector
funds can be channeled to help individuals
with other needs.
PSI is maximizing scarce FP
resources through greater integration of family
planning with other health programs, such as
HIV prevention or voluntary HIV counseling
and testing. In addition to increasing cost-effectiveness,
this allows PSI to reach audiences
that might otherwise be overlooked by traditional family planning
programs, such as men and young adults. Combining information
and
services is also more convenient to clients, reducing
the need for visits to other health offices. For example,
PSI/Myanmars Sun Quality Health Clinics
offer both family planning and HIV/AIDS services.
Since the launch of male condoms in Kenya in
1972, PSIs FP portfolio has grown to
include a range of oral and injectable contraceptives,
IUDs, emergency contraceptives, vasectomy and
natural family planning
methods such as
the Standard Days
Method using CycleBeads. In 2007,
PSI programs provided
12.2 million couple
years of protection
against pregnancy,
averting an estimated
2.6 million unintended pregnancies and 13,400 maternal deaths.
PSI also offers products to address specific aspects
of maternal health. The WHO estimates that 43% of
all women of reproductive age living in developing
countries suffer from iron deficiency, so PSI markets
multivitamins with iron and folic acid to women of
reproductive age in the Dominican Republic, India,
Pakistan, Paraguay, Togo and Zambia.
The primary causes of most micronutrient malnutrition are inadequate
intakes of micronutrient-rich foods and impaired absorption of
nutrients partly due to infection and parasitic infestation.
Inadequate access to food, sanitation and safe water and a lack
of knowledge about safe food handling and feeding practices,
conditions common in the developing world, also contribute to
malnutrition.
A significant portion of the four million worldwide
neonatal deaths are caused by sepsis acquired during
childbirth. In countries with the majority of births happening
in homes, clean delivery kits provide a
sterile razor to cut the umbilicus and a clean clamp or
cord tie which prevent tetanus-causing spores and
other infections. Additional contents
include a clean plastic sheet, sterile
gloves, soap and pictorial instructions
on infection prevention.
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• PSI Board Member Dr. Rehana Ahmed discusses the integration of HIV and Reproductive Health programming
• View video clips of PSI reproductive health expert Claire Stokes discussing elements of family planning success
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Congo: Educating women about
Confiance family planning products.
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Publications
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"Among Us Women" Family
Planning Initiative Gives Romanian Factory Workers
the Facts PDF 292K
Search PSI's
research for studies on Family Planning
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Zambia: Vibrant multi-vitamin and iron supplement
has been marketed since 2000.
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Publications
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Meeting a Fundamental Need: Social
Marketing of Micronutrients Prevents Anemia, Saves Lives PDF
276K
Social Marketing Helps Eliminate Iodine Deficiency HTML
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