Addressing the unmet need for family planning of those who are most in need
Unmet need is especially high among groups such as:
- Adolescents
- Migrants
- Urban slum dwellers
- Refugees
- Women in the postpartum period
The World Bank/John Isaac
Meeting the need for family planning is one of the most cost-effective investments to alleviate poverty and improve health.
Photo: India: Woman walking down street in slum with firewood for cooking on her head
Proposed activities to address this unmet need:
Research
- Understanding the needs and perspectives of these groups.
- Testing interventions to expand access to and use of family planning methods.
Norms, tools and guidelines
- Developing appropriate indicators to measure unmet need for family planning.
- Developing or adapting guidelines on family planning for different population groups.
Country support and advocacy
- Supporting country initiatives to address the unmet need for family planning.
- Introducing "best practices" addressing unmet need, including integration and linkages, and financing for sustainability.
- Developing national capacity to strengthen health information systems to monitor trends and to evaluate programme efforts to address the unmet need.
