Originally posted on March 8, 2013, on the Frontline Health Workers Coalition Blog, Kim S. Martin from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs discusses the impact frontline family planning providers have on the knowledge and use of modern contraceptive methods. The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is increasing demand for and strenghtening delivery of family health services using a public-private model designed to be adapted and scaled-up across Nigeria and Africa.

Family planning provider, Mrs. Aremu

In recognition of International Women’s Day, we would like to applaud the frontline family planning providers, who help women and their partners make decisions that keep mothers, children and families healthy and strong. According to the UN, about 222 million women in the developing world would like to plan their pregnancies but they lack access to modern contraceptives. Closely spaced pregnancies can also lead to early death from childbearing, especially in countries like Nigeria where maternal mortality rates remain high and family planning use is stagnant.