'Family planning disrupted for millions during pandemic'

One year into the pandemic, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) estimates 12 million women have seen contraceptive interruptions, leading to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies.

Hyderabad: The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) and Avenir Health in their recent report revealed that an estimated 12 million women have experienced disruptions in their family planning services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies.

The projections which take into consideration real-world observations and data were announced on 11 March, one year since the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic.

These latest figures come even as many countries, particularly high-income countries, show early signs of steeply declining birth rates.

UNFPA’s projections look at contraceptive service disruptions in 115 lower and middle-income countries from over the previous year.

Data from UNFPA and partner surveys, as well as Google Mobility data, found that access to family planning was widely disrupted by factors including travel restrictions, interrupted supply chains, stock-outs and overwhelmed health facilities. The results, for many women, have been life-changing.

UNFPA’s projections show that family planning service disruptions were largely concentrated in April and May of last year, with an average disruption duration of 3.6 months.

In April 2020, showed that serious family planning disruptions lasting six months could affect 47 million women in low- and middle-income countries, resulting in 7 million unintended pregnancies.

UNFPA was able to procure and deliver contraceptives and other reproductive health supplies, as well as personal protective equipment for health workers, even amid rising costs and supply chain constraints.

In order to control the damage done by the pandemic some of the creative efforts that can be used to make contraceptives easily available are –

• Using a ride-hailing app to deliver contraceptives
• SMS outreach and targeting family planning counselling to quarantine centres