Abstract
Worldwide, there is growing momentum and political will to ensure sustainable development and universal access to health products, care, and services. As part of this trend, governments are making a clear commitment to expand access to family planning (FP) services and products and are working to increase demand for a full range of contraceptive methods. Fundamental to this effort are questions about equity of access to FP, efficiencies in resource distribution, consumer preferences and behaviors, and costs. This commitment to expand access comes at a time when international donor resources for FP are shrinking relative to current and expected demand. In particular, bilateral donors with a history of donating contraceptive commodities and national governments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly embracing greater local responsibility for the financial, technical, and management aspects of FP programs. These developments are prompting governments to increasingly focus public-sector attention and scarce budgetary resources on segments of their populations with the least access to FP products and services. These financial resource constraints, often exacerbated by rapidly growing populations, exist against a backdrop of added pressures for governments to help ensure universal health coverage.
