scholarly journals Who, W hat, W here: an analysis of private sector family planning provision in 57 low‐ and middle‐income countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1639-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oona M. R. Campbell ◽  
Lenka Benova ◽  
David Macleod ◽  
Catherine Goodman ◽  
Katharine Footman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Estimating private sector out-of-pocket expenditures on family planning commodities in low-and-middle-income countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e004635
Author(s):  
Michelle Weinberger ◽  
Nicole Bellows ◽  
John Stover
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Sensitivity Testing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Low And Middle Income

IntroductionThe role of the private sector in family planning (FP) is well studied; however, few efforts have been made to quantify the role of private out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures on FP commodities across low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Calculating OOP expenditures is important to illuminate the magnitude of these contributions and to inform discussions on how financial burdens can be reduced.MethodsEstimates of FP users and commodities consumed by women getting their FP methods from the private sector were made for 132 LMICs. Next, unit price data were compiled from to estimate the average price of commodities in the private sector at both a commercial and subsidised price point. These unit prices were applied to commodity consumption estimates to calculate total private OOP expenditures. Sensitivity testing was conducted.ResultsTotal estimated private OOP expenditures for FP commodities in 2019 was $2.73 billion across 132 LMICs. Spending on contraceptive pills accounted for 80% of this total, and just over three-quarters of expenditure came from upper-middle-income countries. OOP expenditures on subsidised commodities were small but accounted for 20% of expenditures in low-income countries. Non-subsidised unit prices were found to be between 5 and 20 times higher in upper-middle-income countries compared with low-income countries, although wide variation exists. For low-income and lower-middle-income countries, subsidies appear to be greatest for intrauterine devices (IUDs) and pills.ConclusionLarge OOP expenditures across all income levels highlight a need for financing approaches that ensure that a wide range of contraceptives are both accessible and affordable.

scholarly journals Scaling-Up Access to Family Planning May Improve Linear Growth and Child Development in Low and Middle Income Countries

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e102391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Günther Fink ◽  
Christopher R. Sudfeld ◽  
Goodarz Danaei ◽  
Majid Ezzati ◽  
Wafaie W. Fawzi
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Linear Growth ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Commentary: Does Twitter have a role in Family Planning in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Harrison ◽  
Saumya Ramarao ◽  
Dinesh Vijeyakumar ◽  
James McKinnon ◽  
Kristina Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Family Planning ◽  
Developing World ◽  
The Body ◽  
Modern Contraceptive ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Stakeholders are coming together to develop a vision for increasing access to family planning (FP) by 2030.  Of the 923 million women in the developing world who wish to avoid a pregnancy, 218 million women are not using a modern contraceptive (Guttmacher Institute, 2020).  In 2016, over 3.4 billion people were using the internet (https://ourworldindata.org/internet 2016). Moreover, internet users in the developing world use social media more frequently than Internet users in the U.S. and Europe. Of the many proposed actions to accelerate progress in family planning, the use of Twitter should be a key component.    In this commentary, we describe the use of Twitter in a select group of low-and-middle-income countries that have made commitments to the family planning 2020 initiative (FP2020 countries, and have the potential to leverage Twitter with current and potential family planning users. We examine Twitter feeds in eight key FP2020 countries, and we look at the content of Tweets issued by the ministries of health in most of these same countries.   Our view is that it is feasible and easy to access Twitter feeds in low and middle income countries. We base our view on the types of reproductive health and family planning terms discussed in a public forum such as Twitter by current and potential users and their partners and ministries of health. We highlight two broad considerations that merit discussion among interested stakeholders, including policy makers, program designers, and health advocates. The first relates to the use of Twitter within family planning programs, and the second relates to themes that require more significant research. Data coupled with analytical capacity will help policy makers and program designers to effectively leverage Twitter for expanding the reach of family planning services and influencing social media policy. Our aim is to not only to contribute to the body of knowledge but also to spur greater engagement by program personnel, researchers, health advocates and contraceptive users.

Mobile Health (mHealth) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith McCool ◽  
Rosie Dobson ◽  
Robyn Whittaker ◽  
Chris Paton
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Private Sector Investment ◽  
Low And Middle Income

This article reflects on current trends and proposes new considerations for the future of mobile technologies for health (mHealth). Our focus is predominantly on the value of and concerns with regard to the application of digital health within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is in LMICs and marginalized communities that mHealth (within the wider scope of digital health) could be most useful and valuable. Peer-reviewed literature on mHealth in LMICs provides reassurance of this potential, often reflecting on the ubiquity of mobile phones and ever-increasing connectivity globally, reaching remote or otherwise disengaged populations. Efforts to adapt successful programs for LMIC contexts and populations are only just starting to reap rewards. Private-sector investment in mHealth offers value through enhanced capacity and advances in technology as well as the ability to meet increasing consumer demand for real-time, accessible, convenient, and choice-driven health care options. We examine some of the potential considerations associated with a private-sector investment, questioning whether a core of transparency, local ownership, equity, and safety are likely to be upheld in the current environment of health entrepreneurship. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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