Assessment of Drivers of Progress in Increasing Contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: Case Studies from Eastern and Southern Africa

Despite the immense health, environmental and economic growth benefits from use of modern family planning (FP) methods, recent estimates published by Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA in June 2012 present that only 17% (36 million) of married women in Sub-Saharan Africa use modern family planning (FP) methods. However, a significantly greater proportion of married women, estimated at 60%, or a staggering 53 million women, are unable to voluntarily space, delay or avoid births through modern FP methods. Despite the generally poor performance in meeting objectives of the International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Program of Action, which established a reproductive health (RH) and FP framework in 1994, and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) MDG target 5b on universal access to RH by 2015, a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa have ignited a new wave of optimism and progress in addressing unmet need for FP.