Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Description

Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH) programming lowers maternal mortality and morbidity rates, and infant and child death rates; reduces unintended pregnancies; prevents unsafe abortions; and lowers rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. It promotes gender equality and the rights of women and girls, reduces poverty, and strengthens economies.

Use of Funds

Funds support programming that provides voluntary modern contraception services and supplies and prevents practices that harm women and girls, including female genital cutting and gender-based violence.

Justification

• In F.Y. 2020, U.S. funding:
  • Provided contraceptive services and supplies to 27.4 million women and couples.
  • Averted 12.2 million unintended pregnancies.
  • Prevented 20,000 maternal deaths.
• Since USAID began programming in 1965, modern contraceptive prevalence has increased to 32%, up from fewer than 10%, and the average family size has dropped to 4.2 people, down from over six people.
• Globally, one-third of women are affected by illness or death due to poor reproductive health. Every year, more than half a million women die in childbirth, with over 95% of them in Africa and Asia.
• In low- and middle-income countries in 2019, 35 million women had abortions in unsafe conditions, 299,000 died from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 133 million women did not receive treatment needed for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.
• An estimated 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern methods of contraception. This could rise to 271 million by 2030 if family planning services do not keep pace with population increases.