Family Planning

In Senegal, less than 12% of rural women have access to modern contraception.

At the Senegal Health Institute, we are strong advocates for family planning and reproductive health. We firmly believe that all women should have the right to choose the size of their family and when to have their children. In Senegal, less than 12% of rural women are using modern contraception. This low number is due to the fact that most women don’t have access to it, and they lack knowledge about contraception in general.

The most common option for women in Senegal who do have access to contraceptives is Depo-Provera, an injection received 4 times a year. Women will walk miles to get this injection only to find out that the clinic has run out of birth control altogether, making it difficult for them to stay on any program. This shortage occurs about 150 days a year. We at the Senegal Health Institute are dedicated to expanding access to contraception by providing a stable flow at our clinic.

We are also changing lives through education. We provide education to women and their partners on the importance of using contraception and make them aware of their ability to continually access it at our clinic. We also educate adolescent females about their reproductive health and the advantages of postponing motherhood.

The impact these efforts have is far reaching. Family planning reduces maternal and newborn mortality rates and improves the health and well-being of women and their existing children. A woman’s ability to choose when and how many children to have helps to break the cycle of poverty by easing the economic burden on families. This in turn improves the prosperity of the entire community.