The role of political will and commitment in improving access to family planning – Case studies from Eastern and Southern Africa

The study explored the origin, architecture and role of political will in increasing contraceptive use in three sub-Saharan African countries - Ethiopia, Malawi, and Rwanda – that have stood out for phenomenal increases in contraceptive use between 2000 and 2012.

We assessed factors that have propelled changes in the attitudes of some political leaders to champion family planning; how such political will has manifested in different contexts; and how political will impacts the policy and program environment.

We use mixed methods, including desk review of policy and program documents and stakeholder interviews. The study findings demonstrate that political will for family planning evolved due to increased availability of evidence that demonstrated that family planning is central to achieving the MDGs, and that high population growth undermines efforts to transform the economies of developing countries.

We postulate that lessons from this study will help galvanize efforts to improve access to family planning services in other African countries where little progress is being made.