Join FP2020 by Making a Commitment

Currently, there are 11.6 million women in the 69 poorest countries of the world using contraceptive provided by Marie Stopes International.  (There are actually 15.6 million users globally, but the 11.6 million reflects LAPM use in the FP2020 countries specifically).

• In the years around and since the London Summit on Family Planning, MSI has continued to successfully remove the multiple barriers to access – to deliver affordable and quality choices to more and more women.

Examples that highlight the MSI approach include:

• Advocacy on tasksharing: In Uganda, MSI was influential in supporting a task sharing policy change to help expand access to tubal ligation services. As a founding member of the Uganda Family Planning Consortium, MSI helped obtain formal endorsement from the Ministry of Health for clinical officers to perform tubal ligation, significantly increasing the number of health professionals able to provide the service.

• Advocacy for the removal of import duties on FP commodities in Sierra Leone.

• Registration of low cost, high impact FP technologies: To date, MSI has successfully registered Sino II (currently the only officially registered two-rod contraceptive implant), in 7 countries with a final application pending in Vietnam. MSI also has permission to distribute Sino II in Papua New Guinea.

• Influencing global norms: MSI collaboration with WHO led to the publication of global guidance on task sharing of long term and permanent family planning methods in 2013. MSI is now working to ensure adherence at country level.

Jhpiego shared the following update on progress in achieving its FP2020 commitments:

Jhpiego has contributed to advocacy for task-shifting to improve access to long-acting family planning methods by contributing to the global evidence in support of lower level health cadres to provide contraceptive implants.   

• As part of the Targeted States High Impact Project (TSHIP) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Jhpiego and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) implemented a pilot intervention to increase access and utilization of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) services among rural community members in Nigeria’s Bauchi and Sokoto states. The intervention focused on strengthening the capacity of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to insert implants and document the services provided through training and supportive supervision. The intervention also sought to improve commodity security and logistics systems, create demand, improve access to quality implant services, and strengthen the referral system. Evaluations of this intervention documented high quality of service provision and statistically significant increases in counselling skills for all methods by trained CHEWs. With proper training and continuous supportive supervision, Jhpiego’s work has demonstrated that CHEWs in Nigeria are able to administer contraceptive implants and provide adequate counseling for various contraceptive methods. A journal article highlighting the findings from this intervention has been accepted in the Global Health: Science and Practice Journal and will be published in an upcoming issue.
• Through the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) and Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) funded by USAID, Jhpiego has supported the Ministry of Health of Mali to demonstrate the feasibility of matrones (auxiliary midwives) inserting contraceptive implants at rural community health centers. Evaluated through observation checklists for skills quality, the study demonstrated that matrones can insert implants satisfactorily up to one year after training. This study provides supporting evidence that matrones can be a key link to facilitate access of LARC services, especially for rural populations. The study results have been presented at a national event presenting best practices in maternal, newborn, and child health in 2014.

Jhpiego has continued to support with training matrons or auxiliary midwives to provide implants in these settings.

• As part of the TSHIP program in Nigeria, Jhpiego in partnership with SPHCDA trained 166 CHEWs in Sokoto and Bauchi states from September to December, 2013. Supportive supervision was conducted for nearly all trainees (95%; n=145). At the endline assessment six months later, a total of 3588 implants were inserted at 151 health facilities, and over 10,088 couple years of protection (CYP) were generated through implant insertion over a period of six months. In addition, the average number of family planning visits during the six months prior to the survey increased from 23 (n=157) to 28 (n=147) clients per month.
• In Mali, between August 2012 and February 2014, a total of 173 matrones across 160 sites in Diema, Kita, Sikasso districts were trained to insert implants. Between August 2013 and May 2015, 2362 clients received implants and 5020 clients were counseled and educated about Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy (HTSP).
• Of note, all of these lower level health workers were trained in implant insertion but not removals. Removals in both of these countries are referred to higher level health cadres.

• 959 prestataires formés en Technologie contraceptive  depuis 2015 jusqu’en juin 2016. La formation en TC est une  nouvelle approche basée sur les compétences pour dispenser toutes les méthodes contraceptives en générale et particulièrement la pratique humaniste de pose et de retrait de l’implant et DIU en utilisant les modèles anatomiques adaptés , la prévention des infections ,la gestion des effets secondaires et le counseling.
• Depuis 2015 Jusqu’en mai 2016, 49 003 DMPA ont été administrés au niveau communautaire par les Techniciens de promotion de la santé,
  • 487 646 personnes sensibilisées dont 207 646 femmes par les Agents de santé communautaires.
  • 6066 cycles de pilules et 137 739 préservatifs ont été distribués par les agents de santé communautaire en 2015.
  • 33 Postes secondaires ont été mis en place dans les zones inaccessibles géographiquement et à proximité des Centres de santé confessionnels   qui ne proposent pas de méthodes de contraception modernes pour  augmenter l’accès aux  services de planification familiale.
• Le gouvernement du Burundi s’est engagé à intégrer ces services à d’autres programmes, comme l’immunisation et le VIH :
  • Le renforcement des capacités des prestataires travaillant dans les services de maternité en technologie contraceptive.
  • 60% des femmes opérées des fistules obstétricales adoptent une méthode contraceptive avant la sortie du centre de traitement
• Le gouvernement du Burundi s’est engagé à augmenter les services communautaires en mobilisant la communauté et en fournissant des méthodes de planification familiale, y compris le transfert de tâches en formant des techniciens de promotion de la santé et des agents sanitaires de collectivité (ASC) pour proposer des injections :
  • 338 TPS ont été formé sur l’administration du  DMPA au niveau communautaire et 3940 Agents de santé communautaire ont été formés  sur la distribution à base communautaire des contraceptifs (Pilules et Condoms).
  • Depuis 2015 Jusqu’en mai 2016, 49 003 DMPA ont été administrés au niveau communautaire par les Techniciens de promotion de la santé,
  • 487 646 personnes sensibilisées dont 207 646 femmes par les Agents de santé communautaires.
  • 6066 cycles de pilules et 137 739 préservatifs ont été distribués par les agents de santé communautaire en 2015
• Des émissions radiophoniques sur la SR mettant un accent particulier sur la PF et la SSRAJ ont été récoltées au cours des réunions régionales de coordination, des campagnes sur la PF  et diffusées.
• Les campagnes de sensibilisation des leaders en planification familiale et l’introduction du DMPA dans la distribution à base communautaire des contraceptifs. Au total, plus 2750 leaders proches de la communauté ont été sensibilisés et vont disséminer les messages sur la PF jusqu'au niveau communautaire pour susciter l'adhésion et utilisation des services de PF. Selon les statistiques de service, le taux de prévalence contraceptive est passé de 34,3% en 2014 à 37,4% en 2015
• Elaboration de la stratégie Condom, campagnes zéro grossesse, intégration de la SSRAJ dans les curricula de l’école Fondamentale (8ème) 9ème pour 2015 et révision pour la 7ème en 2016.
• En collaboration avec les opérateurs des Téléphonies mobiles et avec l’appui des partenaires techniques et financiers ,le gouvernement a assuré l’information et la référence aux services de santé sexuelle et  reproductive en faveur des adolescents  et jeunes grâce aux nouvelles technologies de l’informations et de la communication .C’est notamment par l’envoi périodique des SMS média sur la santé .La promotion des groupes virtuels à travers les réseaux sociaux permettant à plus de  10000 Jeunes d’échanger et partager leurs idées et informations sur la  SSRAJ .Exemple : Adv4Youth sur facebook  et Watch up.
• Le Gouvernement vient d’initier, en 2016 et pour une période de 5 ans, un programme conjoint (regroupant 3 ministères clés : santé, éducation, jeunesse et mis en œuvre par 4 partenaires : UNFPA, CARE, CORDAID, RUTGERS en santé sexuelle et reproductive des adolescents et jeunes.
• Le MSPLS vient d’élaborer une stratégie nationale de financement de la santé et est entrain de cheminer vers la mise en place d’une couverture sanitaire universelle à l’horizon 2018, intégrant les différents mécanismes de financement de la santé dont le Financement basé sur la performance. Dans cette perspective, la mise en œuvre du FBP est en train d’être repensée pour s’orienter vers un FBP seconde génération centré sur le renforcement de la qualité des soins et la levée des principaux goulots d’étranglement du système de santé.

• Le Sénégal dispose désormais d’un plan de communication SR/PF et Survie de l’Enfant et son plan fait budgétisé mais l’accent sur la création de la demande. De même un plan de communication spécifiquement adressé aux jeunes est en cours d’élaboration. Les deux premiers seront validés au cours du mois d’aout 2016. Les religieux sont aussi parties prenantes du plan PF 2016 -2020. Présentement ils organisent des émissions à la radio pour soutenir le programme PF.
• L’IPM est généralisé dans le pays et les ruptures de stocks sont très rares et la durée est très réduite. Le Ministère à travers la PNA est entrain de s’en appropriée. Le passage du témoin entre le projet et la PNA débute cette année selon un scénario proposé par le Ministère
• La quantification des besoins se fait régulièrement au niveau national (2 fois par an). Avec l’appui des partenaires les régions seront formées sur le Reality Check afin de faire leur propre quantification.
• Dans le nouveau plan PF, les propositions faites multiplient le nombre de cliniques mobiles et les services franchisés. Ceci permet d’atteindre les populations les plus éloignées qui sont en général les plus vulnérables. Le programme cherche aussi à acquérir des kits d’insertions retraits pour les méthodes de longues durée afin d’éviter les prescription faites aux femmes.
• Le Sayana Press est offert sur l’ensemble du territoire national. Le programme insiste beaucoup sur les services de PF offerts aux jeunes notamment la communication sur les méthodes disponibles, la contraception d’urgence et surtout la nécessité de leur donner les connaissances nécessaires afin de les préparer à leur futur statut.
• L’offre de service à base communautaire est généralisée pour les pilules, les injectables en IM et en sous cutanée. L’intégration de la PF aux services de vaccination n’est pas encore généralisée mais est commune et est considérée comme une pratique prometteuse. Il est encore tôt d’évaluer son intégration avec le VIH.

In July 2016, the Government of Zambia shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

The government reports performing the following activities in support of its program and service delivery commitment:

• The government, with support from UNFPA, introduced Implanon NXT in five provinces. This included procurement of commodities and capacity building for 40 trainers and 200 providers.
• The Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority recently registered Sayana Press and the first shipment is expected in-country by end 2016. This consignment will be initially used by community based distributors (CBDs) to provide injectable contraceptives.
• The Ministry of Health has issued policy guidance allowing trained CBDs to provide injectable contraceptives. National training manuals have been developed and the draft CBD strategy has incorporated injectable contraceptives. The MOH has commenced the process of developing the Community Health strategy and CBDs, under the SARAI project, are providing injectable contraceptives in their communities.
• Through the Church Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), the government is engaged in a dialog on family planning, with the first meeting held in September 2015. CHAZ has lined up other engagements with religious leaders in 2016. In addition, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional affairs government has engaged chiefs in addressing child marriage and teenage pregnancies, including in the promotion of family planning.
• Demand generation for family planning is being done through sub-district structures using community volunteers such as safe motherhood action groups—groups of women and men that promote safe motherhood practices including antenatal clinic attendance, institutional deliveries, and family planning. In collaboration with partners, the MOH has used innovations such as the camping approach, social marketing strategies, and integrated outreach activities to generate demand in various communities.

In September 2015, the Government of Nigeria shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

•  The policy on task shifting and task sharing of responsibilities to community health extension workers (CHEWS) has been endorsed at the last national council on health meeting. This provides the enabling environment to build CHEW capacity for delivering long-acting and reversible methods. A comprehensive national training plan for 3,700 CHEWs has been included in the strategy document to transit from Implanon classic to NXT. The training documents necessary to operationalize the policy is currently being developed by the government and partners.
• In 2014, several state level and national level workshops were held to sensitize policy makers and stakeholders on the Demographic Dividend, which includes investment in the youth population, especially young girls and family planning. The concept is well received and efforts are ongoing to support the government and state levels to implement an intervention program focused in reaping the demographic dividend in the next 25 years.
• There has been a consistent and cohesive decision by the government at national levels to support states to take ownership of the last-mile distribution of contraceptives using integrated distribution. This includes using private sector contracting as third party logistics (3PL) and specific system wide strengthening efforts, such as the formation of a State Logistics Management Coordination Unit. There are also efforts to lower the regulatory barriers for importing contraceptives with expedited processing of waivers and product registration by NAFDAC. USAID/JSI and UNFPA are supporting the federal Ministry of Health to conduct last mile distribution of contraceptives across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.  The two models deployed are the Review and Resupply Meeting and the Direct Delivery and Information Capture Model. Implementation of last mile distribution over the years has resulted in more than 90 percent availability on contraceptives in health facilities and improved availability of logistic data for decision making.

IPPF shared the following update on progress in achieving its FP2020 commitments:

At global, regional and national levels, IPPF persuades governments and decision makers to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, to change policy and to fund programs and service delivery. In 2014, IPPF made significant progress to improve an enabling environment towards strengthening the recognition of SRHR at the regional level:

• Working in partnership with the African Union (AU) on the Maputo Plan of Action. IPPF’s Liaison Office in the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa plays a critical role in influencing policy processes at the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The African Union has requested that the IPPF Africa Regional Office works with civil society organizations across Africa to conduct a review of the Maputo Plan of Action. The plan is Africa’s policy framework for universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning. The review will assess progress and make recommendations for the next phase. IPPF convened the General Assembly of the African Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development in the Ivory Coast. The assembly produced a positive statement on Africa’s position on sexual and reproductive health and rights for the new Sustainable Development Goals. This was taken forward to the 6th International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in Sweden where African parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality, women’s empowerment, elimination of violence against women, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Engaging BRICS: More than 42 per cent of the world’s population live in the five BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which means that the policies and views of governments in these countries are critical for the health and well-being of billions of people. IPPF works in BRICS countries in partnership with civil society organizations, including Member Associations, to raise awareness among the leaders and policy makers of the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

• In March 2014, South Africa hosted the BRICS Inaugural Seminar of Officials and Experts on Population Matters. IPPF’s Director-General and the Western Hemisphere Regional Director participated, alongside Member Associations and representatives from other civil society organizations mobilized by IPPF. A milestone agreement was reached with the BRICS countries adopting a framework for ongoing cooperation and learning on contraception, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, gender equality and women’s rights.
• In February 2015, IPPF convened a civil society forum in Brasilia, ahead of the First BRICS Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Population Matters. IPPF worked with civil society organizations, including the Member Associations of China and India, to review the zero draft of the Agenda for BRICS Cooperation on Population Matters 2015–2020. Country official delegates were encouraged to support sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender equality in negotiations on the content of the final document. Following this work, the agenda agreed by ministers at the First BRICS Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Population Matters reflects many of IPPF’s key concerns such as sexual and reproductive health rights, and empowerment of women and girls.

IPPF continues to advocate for affordable pricing for contraceptives and raise awareness and change the attitudes of community, political and public opinion leaders to support SRHR for all. We introduce new contraceptive methodologies to meet the needs of under-served communities and address the known barriers to voluntary family planning service uptake of vulnerable populations. In 2014, IPPF successfully called for the expansion of high-quality and affordable contraceptives through:

• Collaboration with the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC): IPPF continued to play an integral role in the membership-based RHSC. Through its role as co-chair of the RHSC Advocacy and Accountability working group, IPPF has mobilized global, regional and national civil society to call on governments for increased political and financial support to family planning and reproductive health supplies. IPPF contributed to the RHSC Take Stock initiative by pledging to develop and roll out a Federation wide RH Commodity Security Strategy to help IPPF identify potential stockouts and mitigate against them, by building capacity in supplies management and strengthening supply chains across the Federation.

• Partnership for price reductions: IPPF continues to work with other international partners to ensure that the price reductions for implants achieved through the minimum volume guarantees actually reach women needing these products. IPPF is also advocating for UNFPA to list products by formulation, rather than brand name—this is likely to increase take-up of more affordable generics and create a more sustainable market. Partnership with UNFPA to boost family planning services in 13 countries through ensuring affordable family planning supplies.

• IPPF participates in technical groups such as the High Impact Practices in Family Planning (HIPPs) Group and the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities, particularly the Implant Technical Reference Team.

• Piloting Sayana Press: Reproductive Health Uganda is working in partnership with PATH to pilot Sayana Press—a self-injection method—with clients receiving services at two urban family planning clinics in Gulu District, with a focus on provision to young people. The research will be instrumental in understanding the appeal of the concept of home and self-injection among younger women, and determine whether women can self-inject Sayana Press competently in an unsupervised setting.

• IPPF is also a member of the International Contraceptive Access (ICA) Foundation—a partnership that has enabled several Member Associations to obtain access to LNG-IUS (levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system) a hormonal intra-uterine contraceptive device. In 2014, LNG-IUS were shipped to the following IPPF Member Associations: Curacao, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Mongolia, St. Lucia and Sri Lanka.

• IPPF also actively participates in the UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), and regularly attends HRP policy committee meetings.

IPPF is the global and regional convener and mobilizer of civil society organizations that advocate for public, political and financial commitments to voluntary family planning. Through our advocacy, we influence and support enabling environments to increase high quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health services and for governments to be accountable for the pledges that they made at the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning.  IPPF Member Associations regularly hold their governments to account by ensuring that citizens know their rights, by monitoring and tracking that people’s rights are being delivered, and by supporting constructive engagement among citizens, services and government officials to address barriers and challenges. In 2014:

• IPPF worked in partnership with Advance Family Planning to mobilize action at district, national and international levels with a focus on the implementation of commitments made by governments in 2012 at the London Summit on Family Planning. In 2014, IPPF’s Director-General spoke on a high-level panel about the importance of maintaining momentum on contraception and maternal and newborn health, alongside the United Kingdom’s International Development Secretary, Justine Greening, and Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a partner in the USAID-funded Evidence Project, IPPF began research into how social accountability mechanisms can increase access to contraceptive services.

• Through successful advocacy, the Family Planning Association of Nepal celebrated the first-ever Family Planning Day on 18 September 2014. Nepal’s Health and Population Secretary, the Minister of Health and Population, and the National Planning Commission inaugurated the Day which has helped put family planning back on the priority list.

• Association de Bien-Etre Familial–Naissances Désirables of the Democratic Republic of Congo collaborated with local networks to convince the government to allocate its first-ever funding for purchase of contraceptives in 2013. Previously, contraceptive procurement depended solely on donor support.

• Tonga Family Health Association delivered technical input to revise the national youth strategy. Through extensive advocacy, the Member Association secured a specific objective on sexual and reproductive health for young people.

In 2014, the government of Uganda launched its US$200 million official Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan, 2015–2020 (FP-CIP) to reduce unmet need for contraception from 40 to 10 per cent, and increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate to 50 per cent by 2020. RHU convened and led a youth group and an expert group to provide feedback during the FP-CIP’s development process. Of the 18 countries preparing FP-CIPs, this is the only example of these plans being developed following this approach. RHU’s activities were instrumental in ensuring that young people’s needs and a rights-based approach to family planning programmes were included in the plan. The Association also worked with the government to ensure that the FP-CIP is fully costed, and to raise resources with bilateral donors to fund its various components.

IPPF shared the following update on progress in achieving its FP2020 commitments:

IPPF is a global leader in family planning service delivery and advocacy, and has been at the vanguard of delivering comprehensive voluntary family planning services for over 60 years. IPPF is the global and regional convener and mobilizer of civil society organizations that advocate for public, political and financial commitments to voluntary family planning. In 2014, IPPF continued to unite a global movement to improve the health status of poor and young people, in particular women and girls, through an enabling family planning policy environment and access to a range of cost-effective, high-impact health services. Particularly, the Federation succeeded in securing:

• National legislative change for access to contraception: 81 successful policy initiatives and or positive legislative changes in support or defense of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to which Member Associations’ advocacy contributed. This included 27 increased national budget allocations for contraception, access to contraception and SRHR of vulnerable people;

• Global and regional norm setting for rights-based family planning: 18 successful regional and global policy initiatives and/or positive legislative changes in support or defense of SRHR to which IPPF’s advocacy contribute. IPPF implemented its largest-ever international advocacy program to prioritize sexual and reproductive health and rights—including rights-based family planning--within the new Sustainable Development Goals;

• Reproductive rights are human rights: 54% of Member Associations monitor obligations made by government in the international human rights treaties that they have ratified. IPPF Member Associations continue to use the United Nations Periodic Review process to raise concerns and make recommendations about sexual rights in their countries – including access to contraception.

The IPPF Member Association, Rahnuma-Family Planning Association of Pakistan (Rahnuma-FPAP) stands as an example of country impact. Rahnuma-FPAP is part of Pakistan’s national FP2020 Champions Group. Rahnuma-FPAP has agreements with national and provincial ministries, including the Ministry of National Health Services, the Population Welfare Department in Punjab, and the National Institute of Population Studies, and implements maternal and newborn child health programs in the provinces of Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh. These programs support service delivery and family planning in line with the national government’s commitment to FP2020. Rahnuma-FPAP, working with other civil society organizations, advocated for more family planning services with the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. Together, these three provinces account for more than 85 per cent of the total population of Pakistan.  As a result, the provincial governments have incorporated commitments on family planning into their draft population policies and other influential policy documents; increased budgetary lines for contraception in both 2013–14 and 2014–15; allocated resources to procure contraceptives; established and reconfigured health delivery points to strengthen service reach; and increased their targets for contraceptive prevalence rates.

In July 2016, the Government of Ghana shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

The government reports performing the following activities in support of its program and service delivery commitment: 

Community based nurses are presently used to deliver family planning services in rural areas including Implant services

• A total of approximately 2,100 auxiliary nurses have been trained in FP services, including contraceptive implants in line with the government’s task shifting policy (introduced in 2013) since the beginning of 2015. This has been achieved largely with support from partners (DFID, UNFPA, DANIDA, WAHO). This has led to a significant uptake of implant services.
• Training materials and job aids have been developed for auxiliary nurses across the country.
• Research is presently being conducted on the feasibility of task shifting in IUD insertion and removal.

The government of Ghana is working involve men in family planning in the various communities.

• The use of chiefs and male community leaders in community outreaches on family planning is ongoing. Reproductive health briefings have been carried out for the national houses of chiefs.
• Males who accompany their spouses for service are attended to promptly to encourage their continuous support.
• Workplace services, particularly condom distribution, continue to be supported.

The Government of Ghana is working to improve workforce training and options for task shifting:

• The training of auxiliary nurses is ongoing in all regions. Regional Resource Teams for FP have been established in all regions since 2015 to provide training and supervision. These teams have contributed to more than 2,100 auxiliary nurses being trained between 2015-2016.
• All the Regional Resource Teams have been trained in counselling, and they are rolling out the training of family planning service providers in the regions. All trainings include customer care.
• RHCS Facility survey was conducted in collaboration with UNFPA to assess FP service delivery in health facilities including customer care and client satisfaction. Findings will be used to improve customer care.

Postpartum and post-abortion care services are provided in all facilities that have trained personnel.

• In collaboration with IPAS and MSI comprehensive abortion services have been scaled up from 2 regions to 8 out of the 10 regions since 2015.

The Government of Ghana committed to offering expanded contraceptive choices including a wider range of long acting and permanent methods. Presently the method mix includes condoms, pills, implants, IUD’s/IUS, vasectomy and bilateral tubal ligation.

• Implanon has been introduced with a smooth transition to Implanon NXT in 2015.
• Sino implant has been introduced in the private sector by MSI Ghana.
• Limited quantities of IUS have been re-introduced in a few centers in the country.

The Government of Ghana committed to provide adolescent-friendly services for sexually active young people.

• All facilities are encouraged to offer adolescent friendly services.

Ghana has 218 fully functional adolescent friendly corners and 54 were built in 2015-2016.

In July 2016, the Government of Ghana shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

The government reports performing the following activities in support of its policy and political commitment: 

• The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) law has been amended to include family planning (FP) in the benefit package. Full cost estimates including projections were submitted to NHIA in 2014/2015 and the NHIA has made a commitment in writing that includes all FP clinical methods. Currently the NHIS is undergoing restructuring after which implementation will begin.

IPPF Member Association the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) played a very active role in making contraception free in the public sector. The Association participated in the Contraceptive Security Committee, which plays a leading role in finding solutions to challenges to contraceptive availability. In 2013, the government added contraception to the list of free services provided to women as part of maternal health care.