Adaptable measures to increase uptake of family planning services in resource poor settings, Cameroon, Africa

An unmet need for family planning refers to women capable of reproducing who are not using contraception, but wish to postpone their next birth for 2 or more years or to stop childbearing all together. In Africa, especially in resource limited setting, pregnancies are unplanned and spacing between pregnancies is poor, which is associated with an increased risk of infant mortality, childhood malnutrition, and complications during pregnancy. The objective of this write up is to expose the determinants of family planning and adaptable measures to increase family planning uptake. Providing decision makers in developing countries, including in Africa, with the best available evidence on the factors that determine the quality of care in family planning services, from the perspective of clients and health care providers, is important to inform the design and implementation of the most effective, efficient and acceptable measures. Policy implementation is the magic that translates policies into results. That includes following through on commitments with adequate resources, trained providers, operational policies, and guidance that are responsive to local needs and are based on best practices. Learning from FP2020, the Ouagadougou Partnership, and the Challenge Initiative, and other networks and platforms, progress in family planning is achievable if governments, civil society organizations, bilateral and multilateral organizations, private sectors, religious leaders, and other implementing partners come together around a common goal with a clear definition of targets and responsibilities. Improving use of family planning services is key to improving maternal health, and provision of quality of care in family planning services is critical to support higher levels of family planning uptake both by attracting new family planning service users and by maintaining existing users.