Family planning improves global development outlook

Subject

The impact of contraception use in countries.

Significance

The growing use of contraception worldwide has had major effects on economic development and maternal and child survival. According to a 2012 comprehensive study from Johns Hopkins University, contraception use has cut maternal deaths by 44% since 2008, and could lead to an additional reduction of 29% if the current levels of unmet contraceptive need were met. The US National Bureau of Economic Research assessed in 1997 that fertility declines contributed significantly to rapid economic growth in East Asia. However, with growing inequity and government austerity measures, many nations in Latin America, Africa, and Europe are stagnating in their progress to improve contraception rates.

Impacts

• Improved access to contraception will decrease maternal deaths related to unwanted pregnancies.
• Families can better support fewer children, so falling birth rates would also improve child survival rates.
• This would also lead to more children in school, improving national rates of universal education.
• However, family planning programmes perceived to be anti-poor will prove politically controversial.