UN, Gates Foundation commit $3.1B to family planning services

The United Nations Population Fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday said they would commit a combined $3.1 billion for family planning services within the next five years.

The announcement was made during a launch event for the Family Planning 2030 partnership, which is a global coalition of leaders from the family planning and health fields that supports the reproductive rights of women. A previous iteration of the partnership, FP2020, was formed in 2012.

The details: UNFPA pledged to provide $1.7 billion over four years to increase access to family planning services. It also will work with FP2030 “by designating focal points within all commitment-making program countries, as well as designating staff to serve on FP2030’s Governing Board.”

The Gates Foundation made a two-year, $8.5 million pledge to fund the FP2030 Support Network as part of a larger $1.4 billion, five-year commitment to supporting family planning and women’s health globally.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation and global reproductive rights group Fòs Feminista also announced commitments, as did several governments. Countries that pledged to make family planning services more accessible during the launch event include Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Nearly 50 government and nongovernment entities have signed on to FP2030’s commitment to increase the use of “voluntary, rights-based contraception worldwide.”

Why it matters: FP2030 has formed a board with representatives from governments, multilateral agencies, funders, global NGOs, and civil society and youth organizations “with a focus on diversity,” according to a press release. The partnership also plans to open regional hubs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America next year, “with greater direction set by regional and national leadership.”