News Deeply: Family Planning Provides Backbone for Health Care Delivery in a Crisis
Aileen Gleizer, policy manager at Marie Stopes International

“…Family planning is critical for preventing unintended pregnancies, maternal and infant deaths, and unsafe abortions. Funding for international family planning enables the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and implementers … to deliver services that improve health outcomes for underserved women and girls. This funding also alleviates extreme poverty and improves women’s opportunities for education, employment, and participation in their community. … Funding and supportive policies for international development and family planning programs make a life-saving difference for underserved women and families around the world. Without it, health care workers wouldn’t have been able to reach vulnerable communities in Nepal [after the 2015 earthquake], or in other high-risk environments like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. We must prioritize women and girls’ health, including expanding access to reproductive health care that improves health outcomes and increases economic opportunity, every day — and when disaster strikes” (11/28).