Amina, a young mother of four from a remote Ethiopian village, faced constant challenges in accessing reliable contraception. Frequent trips to the local health clinic for injectable contraceptives were taxing, both in time and resources. That changed when Selam, a dedicated health worker, introduced her to a long-acting reversible implant. This solution promised Amina peace of mind and freed her from regular clinic visits.
However, Selam noticed a growing concern. As more women in her community opted for these long-acting implants, the clinic’s supplies dwindled. The shortage wasn’t isolated; health centers across Ethiopia grappled with similar contraceptive supply issues.
Over the past two decades, Ethiopia has witnessed a significant rise in the use of family-planning services. The contraceptive prevalence rate soared from 8 percent in 2000 to 41 percent in 2019. This progress is attributed to the government’s commitment to enhancing family-planning initiatives, including increasing funding and deploying 42,000 health workers across 18,000 community posts.
Despite these advancements, the supply of contraceptives hasn’t kept up with the escalating demand. The Ministry of Health, responsible for providing free contraceptive options to women like Amina, faces a substantial financing gap, leading to nationwide shortages.
This challenge extends beyond Ethiopia. In 2022, low- and middle-income countries experienced a funding shortfall exceeding $100 million for contraceptives. This deficit jeopardizes access to family-planning methods for hundreds of millions of women and girls globally, potentially resulting in increased unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality.
The hurdles to bridging this financing gap are significant. Governments worldwide are tasked with balancing expanding needs against limited budgets. In many cases, women’s health and family-planning programs are deprioritized during economic hardships, despite the severe repercussions of neglecting contraceptive access.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
