Situational analysis to scale up and sustain postpartum family planning services in Niger

Overview

Niger has a very high maternal mortality ratio of 509 deaths per 100 000 live births, with almost a third of all deaths among women of reproductive age attributed to maternal causes. The government of Niger has subscribed to international commitments to reduce maternal and infant mortality, a key objective of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As many women access health services during pregnancy and childbirth, postpartum family planning (PPFP) was identified as a critical intervention to accelerate modern contraceptive uptake and reduce maternal, neonatal and infant mortality rates. It is estimated that, in any given year, 1 in 4 women of reproductive age in Niger are postpartum. With 1 in 5 women not using a modern contraceptive method in the postpartum period, PPFP represents an important window of opportunity for the provision of family planning services.

To obtain baseline data to inform policies and programmes for scaling up and sustaining postpartum family planning in Niger, a situational analysis was conducted covering sampled health facilities at central, regional and district levels as well as communities in all eight regions in the country.