Family Planning Funding 2003
Family planning programs are a major U.S. development assistance success story. Working at the request of developing country partners, USAID-supported programs enhance individuals' abilities to choose the number and spacing of their children, provide critical health benefits for mothers and young children, reduce the incidence of abortion, contribute to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and slow population growth to levels consistent with sustainable development.
In FY 2003, Congress appropriated $443.6 million to USAID for family planning programs. Almost $1.5 billion was provided for other health programs, including child survival and maternal health, HIV/AIDS, and infectious diseases.
How family planning assistance is provided. Centrally supported activities are managed by the Office of Population and Reproductive Health housed in the Global Health Bureau in Washington. Most of the Bureau's work is carried out through contracts and agreements with cooperating agencies (CAs), which primarily are U.S.-based non-governmental organizations and include academic institutions and non-profit service and research organizations as well as for profit companies. The CAs provide technical assistance to developing country service providers in both the public and private sectors.
Bilateral programs, administered and managed by the field Missions of USAID, provide direct assistance to host country institutions and also use CAs for additional technical support.
Where the funding goes.
Program support to the four Regional Bureaus is provided in the following rough proportions:
| Asia and Near East | | 35 percent |
| Latin America/Caribbean | | 20 percent |
| Africa | | 40 percent |
| Former Soviet Union | | 5 percent |
Funding provided to host country organizations
breaks down in roughly the following proportions:
| Private Non-Profit | | 50 percent |
| Private For-Profit | | 10 percent |
| Universities | | 5 percent |
| Foreign Governments | | 35 percent |
Facts and Figures
Federal spending for foreign assistance is only a small portion of the government's
annual budget. Less than 1 percent of the total budget goes to international
assistance, with half this total going to economic aid and humanitarian assistance.
USAID receives 2/100ths of one percent of this budget, the equivalent of $1.70
per year for each American - or the price of a cup of coffee, for its international
family planning programs.
The annual cost of providing family planning services is extremely low relative
to the benefits. Studies in several countries show that for every dollar invested
in family planning, governments save as much as $16 in reduced expenditures
in health, education, and social services. In Tunisia, where USAID assistance
was phased out in 1994, more than $900 million in public expenditures for health
and education have been saved.
USAID's support has led to dramatic increases in contraceptive use in many parts
of the world. In Kenya, use has more than quadrupled since 1977. In two countries
that have "graduated" from USAID support, Brazil and Mexico, use has doubled
in the past two decades.
Because of USAID's contributions, an estimated 39 percent of women in the developing
world (excluding China) use modern methods of contraception. In the 28 countries
with the largest USAID-funded family planning programs, the average number
of children has dropped from more than 6 to less than 4.
Funding Priorities - Service Delivery, Education, Commodities
Voluntary family planning service delivery and related supplies consistently
receive the greatest proportion of funding. Service delivery support covers
commodities; training for physicians, paramedics and fieldworkers; applied
research; technical assistance in the design and improvement of services; and
efforts to improve quality of care.
When requested by governments, USAID provides technical assistance to help analyze
and bring about changes in government policies, which may affect the availability
of, and the demand for, family planning services. Policy support also can include
analysis of the impact of rapid population growth on other development sectors,
such as food, health, and energy.
Commodities are crucial to successful family planning efforts. USAID's research
and development has led to significant advances in contraceptive technology.
Numerous countries and donors rely on USAID's contraceptive logistics and supply
forecasting system to ensure commodity availability throughout the year and
at all service sites. The Agency will continue to support development of new
contraceptive methods and improvement of the safety and effectiveness of existing
contraceptives.
USAID has been increasing the allocations to foreign non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), reflecting the Agency's commitment to creating effective indigenous
partnerships and to integrating family planning programs into overall country
development assistance programs.
The Office of Population and Reproductive Health targets its funds for activities
that meet changing family planning and reproductive health needs and that can
impact the availability of services and the health of women and their families.
- Post Abortion Care - Providing women, who have had medical emergencies due
to abortions, with life-saving medical care coupled with contraceptive information
and services not only reduces maternal death and illness but prevents repeat
abortions.
- Youth - More than one billion young people aged 15-24, the largest
youth cohort in history, are entering their childbearing years. They will need
effective education to delay sexual debut and marriage as well as access to
family planning services to prevent both unintended pregnancies and the risk
of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
- Preventing HIV/AIDS - Reinforcing education and counseling to promote
abstinence and condom use and other HIV/AIDS prevention messages in family
planning services, especially in medium to high prevalence countries, can contribute
to more effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
Prepared November 2003
Related Technical Areas
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