blog
November 30, 2011

Minister Bangura: Family planning and priorities in spending

Sarah Lindsay

What happens when a developing country has limited funds for health care? Where does family planning fit as a priority? This question came to the forefront at a press conference today during the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP).

Advocates of family planning constantly promote family planning policies to governments as ‘best buys.’ By investing in family planning and preventing unwanted births and related mortalities and morbidities, family planning can yield a cost savings of $1.5 billion, said Monica Kerrigan of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This savings can be invested in future generations.

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November 30, 2011

At family planning plenary, youth’s messages captivate audience

Sarah Lindsay

For the 2,200 delegates at the International Conference on Family Planning, the opening plenary featured the president of Senegal and the head of the United Nations Population Fund. But it was two youth leaders who stole the show.

The featured speakers included international dignitaries, headlined by the president of Senegal, but the younger leaders made a dramatic plea with an adamant demand: involve youth in family planning decision making.

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November 29, 2011

Investing in family planning: Funds needed from all sources

Sarah Lindsay

At the International Conference on Family Planning, one of the major issues is who will pay for new initiatives. One answer: Both developing and developed countries.

For Senegal’s Minister of Health and Prevention, Moudou Diagne Fada, family planning isn’t just a matter that affects his ministry. It’s an issue that has a major impact on Senegal’s future, he said.

“At the end of the day, family planning is a development issue,” Fada said at a press conference today at the International Family Planning Conference, adding that it touches on education, employment, and economics.

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November 29, 2011

Researching the true cost of Senegal’s maternal health plan

Sarah Lindsay

The 2011 International Conference on Family Planning is being held from November 29 to December 2 in Dakar, Senegal. During the week, MLI will be posting live blogs from the sessions and events around the conference. This morning, MLI was able to meet with health economist and MLI consultant Justin Tine for an update on a study he is currently working on about the removal of user fees for maternal health services. 

In order for policymakers to make the best choices, they need evidence of what works. That is why Senegalese health economist Justin Tine has been working for the past six months on a study about removing user fees for all maternal health care services in Senegal.

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November 28, 2011

MLI in Dakar - Tracking the issues

Sarah Lindsay

This week, leaders from government, civil society, and development partners will gather in Dakar, Senegal for the  2011 International Conference on Family Planning. The week-long meeting will cover a diverse range of topics from strengthening health systems to economic policies to environmental sustainability, truly expressing the wide reaching impact of family planning.  While at the conference, MLI is co-sponsoring a high-level meeting on the demographic dividend, and will also be exploring many topics relevant in our five MLI countries including:

Family planning policy and advocacy:

Family planning can often be pushed to the back burner inside Ministries of Health. Advocates within the government are necessary to advance the family planning agenda and foster support for policies to make family planning more accessible. Dr. Bocar Daff, head of the Reproductive Health Division in Senegal and MLI partner, has been a catalyst behind his country’s push to expand family planning. With his team, Dr. Daff has been elevating the dialogue around reproductive health and family planning within the government while engaging partners to strategically address policy issues.  

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