Vital

News & commentary about the global health workforce

Family Planning and Access to Health Workers

Amid the worldwide health worker shortage, some low-income countries are managing to show impressive levels of modern contraceptive use. How does access to skilled health workers affect family planning use, and what are some countries doing differently?

Family Planning: Be an Example

From politicians to community and international leaders, we should all be more engaged in helping couples make informed choices about family size.

Talk Early and Talk Often

Many people consider “family planning” an adult topic. While it is a topic that affects adults, it should not be an adults-only topic.

Family Planning in West Africa: Courage and Conviction Can Make the Difference

As someone who has worked in this field for over 25 years, it is with mixed emotions that I prepare for the International Family Planning Conference in Dakar later this month.

From Cairo to Dakar: Population Dynamics in Mali

Twenty years ago I arrived in Bamako, Mali, and discovered a capital city settling into relative calm following a military-led coup. My first images of Bamako were of cows, cars, and citizens grazing, grinding gears, and gridlocked on Bamako’s main artery through town—the Route de Koulikoro.

Honoring Fred Sai, a Relentless Champion

As our community prepares for the International Family Planning Conference in Dakar, Senegal, later this month, we at IntraHealth International salute Professor Sai’s achievements and congratulate him on his latest award.

The Seven-Billionth Person: A Global Health Workforce Perspective

The global shortage of health workers means an estimated billion people with no access to essential health services according to a 2010 WHO report.

IntraHealth Statement on Hormonal Contraception and HIV Risks

A recent article by Heffron and colleagues published in Lancet Infectious Diseases suggests that hormonal contraception may increase the risk of HIV acquisition among men and women two-fold.1 Given...

A North Carolinian Honors World Contraception Day

As a North Carolinian and an American, I have always had access to the contraception I needed throughout my life. I have used condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, pills, and the intrauterine device (IUD).

The Key to Progress: Health Workforce Lessons from the Family Planning Movement

One of the great privileges of my life has been to know bold leaders in family planning and reproductive health.