Key Events in the Global Family Planning Field, 2012–2018
| Event | Year | Objective | Relevance to Implants Access Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Family Planning Summit | 2012 | This summit secured US$2.3 billion toward meeting the unmet need for contraception for 120 million women worldwide by 2020. | Countries made specific goals around raising modern contraceptive prevalence rate and reducing unmet need; donors committed funding for family planning commodities and service delivery, including implants. |
| FP2020 launch | 2012 | This global partnership of governments, donors, civil society organizations, and technical experts emerged to help meet the goals of the 2012 London summit. | FP2020 connected countries committed to LARCs with financial and technical resources as needed. |
| UN Commodities Commission report | 2012 | This report listed 13 lifesaving commodities that could save over 6 million lives and avert maternal deaths via improved access to family planning. | Implants were named as a lifesaving commodity and this report identified recommendations to improve financing, utilization, supply, and demand for implants. |
| UNICEF RMNCH Trust Fund | 2013 | This fund was established by UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO to finance high-impact interventions in RMNCH based on recommendations of the UN Commodities Commission report. | The RMNCH trust fund supported eight countries as they expanded the availability of implants and other lifesaving commodities. |
| WHO task shifting recommendations | 2013 | The WHO published updated, evidence-based recommendations on the provision of RMNCH interventions by different cadres of health workers. | The updated task shifting recommendations specified that auxiliary nurses and auxiliary nurse midwives should be permitted to insert and remove implants with targeted monitoring and evaluation. |
| WHO expansion of implants eligibility criteria | 2015 | The fifth edition of WHO’s Medical Eligibility Criteria reduced restrictions around the use of implants and other hormonal contraceptives for adolescents and breastfeeding women less than 6 weeks’ postpartum. | Postpartum women had more options for hormonal contraceptives, which enabled the opportunity to provide LARCs to women shortly after birth. Adolescents were cleared to access implants. |
| Youth statement on LARCs | 2015 | This statement provided evidence that LARCs were safe for youth and adolescents and was signed by over 50 endorsing organizations. | The document provided guidance for programs and service providers that all adolescents and youth deserved access to a full range of methods, including implants. |
| 2017 Family Planning Summit | 2017 | Donors, policymakers, and advocates convened to assess efforts toward reaching FP2020 goals and accelerate progress. | Countries, donors, civil society organizations, and private sector partners recommitted to LARCs. More than 2 dozen FP2020 countries committed to expanding their method mix. |
Abbreviations: LARC, long-acting reversible contraceptive; RMNCH, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; UN, United Nations; UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Fund; UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund; WHO, World Health Organization.