How resilient were family planning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from 70 countries.

Background: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic fears of severe disruptions to family planning (FP) and access to services abounded. This paper uses a unique data source, a special Supplement added to the 2021 round of the National Composite Index for Family Planning (NCIFP), to assess in depth the resilience of FP programs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic across 70 countries spanning six regions.

Methods: The 2021 NCIFP included 961 key informants who were asked questions to assess interference in the countries' ability to achieve objectives, ability to maintain commitment to FP, and availability of information and services.

Inequities in Family Planning in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Introduction: Inequities in reproductive health are widespread, and periodic surveys can trace trends in inequities to guide policies and program implementation.

Methods: We examined National Composite Index for Family Planning surveys from 2017 and 2021 that assessed inequities in access to 7 contraceptive methods and traced patterns of discrimination involving 5 subgroups in low- and middle-income countries. These surveys use 10-25 informants in each country who are knowledgeable at the national level.

The National Composite Index for Family Planning (NCIFP): Results and Methodological Issues.

 The " FP2020 Global Partnership" signaled a shift to broader, rights-based approaches to family planning programs, and the National Composite Index for Family Planning was developed as part of related measurement efforts. In each country 10-15 experts on the family planning program completed a 35-item questionnaire, first in 2014 in 89 countries, and in 2017 in 84 countries. Data were entered in Excel, with checks for consistency and data quality.