New Report Shows Use of Modern Contraception on the Rise in South Sudan; 25,000

Modern methods of contraception are being used by an additional 35,000 women since 2012, and prevented over 25,000 unintended pregnancies and 5,500 unsafe abortions between July 2017 and July 2018.

However, the use of modern contraception remains at extremely low levels in South Sudan, compared to other developing countries, used by only 2.7% of women aged 15-49.

Beyond South Sudan, more women and girls than ever before are making the voluntary choice to use contraception in the world’s 69 lowest-income countries.

The report entitled FP2020 Catalyzing Collaboration has been produced by Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) – a global partnership that supports the rights of women and girls to freely decide whether, when, and how many children they want to have. The report for the first time ever includes new data on government spending on family planning in South Sudan. The report – available electronically [progress.familyplanning2020.org] shows:

In South Sudan:

• In its 2017 FP2020 commitment the Government of South Sudan committed to:
• Increase the portion of national budget dedicated to health from 1% in 2017 to 4% by 2020
•  Establish a dedicated budget line in the Ministry of Health (1% of health expenditures) for Reproductive Health and Family Planning from the 2017/18 budget. (In the Ministry of Health’s budget, there is now a dedicated budget line for reproductive health)
• With over half of girls married by age 18 and modern contraception used by 2.7% of women aged 15-49, South Sudan has one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa and globally.
• Among women aged 15-49, an estimated 85,000 are using a modern method of contraception in 2018. This is 35,000 more than in 2012.
• As a result of modern contraceptive use between July 2017 and July 2018:   

            ○ 25,000 unintended pregnancies were prevented

            ○ 5,500 unsafe abortions were averted

            ○ 150 maternal deaths were averted

• This year the government with its civil society and donor partners prioritized increasing access to reproductive health services through the public and private sector, for all segments of the population, including young people, people with disability and prisoners.

Globally:

• The number of women and girls using a modern method of contraception in the world’s 69 poorest countries had grown to more than 317 million, as of July 2018.

• This is 46 million more users than in 2012 (the year FP2020 was launched) – an increase that is around 30% greater than the historic trend.

• The use of modern contraceptives is growing the fastest in FP2020 countries in Africa: as of July 2018, 24% of women of reproductive age in these countries are using a modern method.

“Women represent half the global population, and there can be no healthy population globally or in South Sudan without reproductive health care. As we continue to build the framework for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), we must ensure access to full, free, voluntary contraception is included for all women and girls. As countries build UHC strategies, rights-based family planning and SRHR services must be integrated within primary health care systems.” , she added.

Note to the Editors

Interviews about the report, and its significance in South Sudan are available with the following individuals, who may be in attendance at the International Conference on Family Planning in Rwanda. If you would like an in interview, or have written questions, please reach out directly by email.

       Stephen Mawa, RHCS Specialist, UNFPA South Sudan Country Office, mawa@unfpa.org

       Dr. Alexander Dimiti, Director General, Directorate of Reproductive Health, Min of Health, South Sudan, alexander.dimiti@gmail.com

       Dr. Langoya Martin Opoka, Executive Director, Reproductive Health Association of South Sudan (RHASS/IPPF), drlopoka@yahoo.com

        Dr. Esperance Fundira, Country Rep, UNFPA, fundira@unfpa.org

        Dr. Basilica Modi, Health Officer, USAID, bmodi@usaid.gov 

Fact sheets with more data specific to South Sudan from the new report can be found here: http://amediaagency.com/app/uploads/2018/11/Copy-of-South-Sudan-Country-Brief.pdf