Assessing the effect of family planning on population wellbeing in sub-Saharan Africa. Available data and challenges

Jacques B. O. Emina, Université de Kinshasa

Slowing population growth has been identified as a significant factor in ameliorating the population wellbeing. Existing studies revealed that the use of family planning (FP) reduces fertility rates; improves women’s health’ bargaining power; and improves child survival rates. In addition, FP enables women to achieve their educational and employment goals; and influence changes in the population structure, which will help the country experiencing a demographic dividend. The important question is to know whether sub-Saharan African countries have data to monitor the impact of FP on population wellbeing. Overall, countries have data on fertility, FP, health, education, and poverty. However, those data sources are not integrated to enable impact evaluation. The study suggests the development of national platform to link available data on investments, programme implementation and impact of multi-sectorial FP policies and programmes at national and sub-national levels; and introduction of FP module in Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSSs).