Advancing Family Planning Research in Africa

Abstract

This issue of the journal seeks to accelerate interest in research on family planning services and uptake, and behavioral and population outcomes, by sharing findings from studies recently conducted on the continent and presented at the International Family Planning Conference held in Kampala, Uganda, between November 15 and 18, 2009.  There are three main themes across the studies:  1) individual factors behind contraceptive demand, 2) programmatic factors influencing contraceptive practice, and 3) individual fertility and population change consequences linked to contraceptive use.  The first set of studies examines the quality of contraceptive information and knowledge, gender roles, and timing of contraceptive adoption among various subpopulations in Africa, e.g., in-school adolescents, HIV-infected women of reproductive age, postpartum mothers, refugees and displaced populations, and men. The second set of studies assesses program factors influencing contraceptive norms and practices, such as models for integrating family planning and HIV care, coverage of family planning by the print media, and communications with adolescents.  The third set of studies explores the relationship of family size and food security to child nutritional status, factors associated with contraceptive failure, and at the population level, fertility and climate change. Four of the papers are shared as research briefs, and one presents a road map to universal access to family planning, prepared during the 2009 conference.

“The Global Road Map to Universal Access to Family Planning” [Cates and Burris] links the 1994 Cairo conference to the 2007 addition of Millennium Development Goal 5b of universal access to reproductive health, and subsequently to the 2009 International Conference on Family Planning. Providing a succinct overview of lessons learned from the Kampala conference, Cates and Burris highlight three themes: 1) family planning and the Millennium Development Goals, 2) evidence-based policies, and 3) leadership and ownership of the field, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The rest of this commentary summarizes the papers’ findings and concludes with reflections regarding future family planning research directions and research capacity building to serve African populations in need.