LynnCSchreiber - live blog from Family Planning Summit on 11th July

[MmeLindor.]

I have recently returned from Kenya, where I was blogging about reproductive rights and the issues millions of women have in accessing family planning.

The Gates Foundation has an ambitious of ensuring that an additional 120m women around the world have access to contraceptives.

Currently the lack of contraception in the developing world means that women are having more babies than they would like, and with small age gaps.

The consequences are many. High maternal mortality, high infant mortality, an appallingly high number or unsafe abortions, particularly in countries where abortion is illegal or difficult to access. Girls don't finish school because they get pregnant so are unable to help lift their families out of poverty.

The UK and the Gates Foundation are hosting a summit this month to raise awareness and funds to fight this issue.

I will, along with many other bloggers who were on the trip, be blogging live from London.

If you have any questions, post them here and I'll try to get answers for you.

You can see what I've been doing in Kenya on the blog: www.saltandcaramel.com

'the best part of my work at the foundation, being out in the field'

'after these visits I am left with the overwhelming sense of women's resistance and thier hope for the future'

Woman called Marianne told her > 'I want to bring every good thing to this child before I have another one'

This idea is universal, but access to contraception is not universal

Jane, who grew up in the urban slums of Nairobi

'it is home. It is very difficult, there is a lot of poverty. When we had no food and problems, the church stepped up. My mother was a role model. Wait to have children, do not have children as early as I did. I decided to wait until I finished my college and get my education. I had my first child at 29 and now have three lovely children. I now work to encourage girls and young women, and tell them that they can have big dreams, just like I did.

I tell them that they should wait to have babies. Because someone told me about FP very early, I was able to wait and to space my children.

I believe that you can make a difference to these women

Video address from Ban Ki-Moon

'the health of women and children is my personal priority'

aim is that 'no child is born unwanted and no woman dies needlessly in childbirth'

Minister of Health of Ethiopia is speaking

Ethiopian Health Minister>

'Family planning which has been a highly politicised issue in the past years has changed'

This summit is a real opportunity to turn things around.

we have studies that show that increasing access to FP could avert half maternal deaths in the developing world

progress in Ethiopia>

we now have a strong primary health care service

we have seen a real upsurge in voluntary access to FP

contraceptive prevalence has doubled in recent years

we are determined to close the FP gap and improve childhood and maternal health

5 point action plan for Ethiopia to close that gap.

we will make FP available
scale up the delivery of FP
we will help adolescent girls access FP

(sorry missed, the other two cause he is talking so fast)

It is not what we are promising here today, but what we do when we get back home tomorrow

Panel discussion now about increasing access and expanding choice.

Introduced by Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO Director General.

Zambia MoH

'we are doubling the budget for FP' - greeted by applause by the delegates.

Philippines delegate talking about the country balancing religion and FP / 'as a catholic country, we have no problem with FP'

'we will expand FP services, especially the women in poverty, who have average of 5 children, but would have liked to have 2 - 3 children. we want to ensure that they have full choice and can access the help they need'

(he actually talked about 5.32 children, but I rounded that up!)

African Women's Dev Fund

'we make it our business to listen to what women are saying to us. What we are being told .. is that FP is really important'

Family planning as part of reproductive health, not on its own.

'raising African womens voices / what we want is access.. this summit is wonderful, the commitment is wonder, but if this is to work we have to have women as central to this mission. we have to hold ourselves accountable to the women of the world. two years down the road we should be back here counting our success in the number of healthy women and children'

(very inspiring woman, a very different voice to the men with their stats!)

Dr Chan from WHO talking about reducing the price, so that developing countries can afford FP and about tracking progress.

'family planning is an important part of Every Woman Every Child'

Now talking about cultural issues. The woman from African Women's Dev Fund

'if a mother herself has never had the information, and so cannot pass it on to her children'

Zambian representative talking about putting what is being talked about here into the practice. 'as we empower our women and households to put food on the table then we also empower them to take decisions on FP'

Indian delegate>

'India is pleased to commit that FP will be a central part of our health care'

45% maternal deaths occur in the ages 15 - 25 years

860000 community health workers going door to door

200000 nurse midwives

12m women giving birth in public health institutions alone

india is committed to ensuring that FP products are provided free of charge

we have already developed capacity in public and private sector to manufacture commodities

public spending on health, including FP, is poised to receive a quantum jump in the coming years

FP must not be viewed in isolation.

FP stategies must be country led, to ensure cultural acceptance

India will remain on the forefront of FP development

Delegate from African Union, talking about taking FP as part of sexual and reproductive health, not in isolation.

Delagate from Sierra Leone, Ms Bangura talking about integrating FP with other health services.

Dr Motsoaledi, Minister of Health in South Africa, talking about HIV and AIDs in SA. Mistake was made in recommending condoms to combat HIV, which led to high teenage pregnancies.

We have realised that we need to reassess the whole programme.

talking about a strong school health programme to combat teenage pregnancy

Mass tweet at 11am to David Cameron in support of the fpsummit initiatives.

Minsiter for INt Dev in Sweden, Ms Carlsson speaking about individuals making important choices, and this being a golden opportunity.

'there is a role for boys and men in this.. dealing with access, but also the rights.. these go hand in hand. It is v important that we see that these are integrated, . Sweden is happy to partner with all of you in this area'

'in many countries we have fragmented services'

FP must be integrated into HIV and reproductive health services, says Ms Gawanas from the African Union

'It is more expensive for the country not to have FP' - Dr Motsoaledi from SA

Ms Barura from Sierra Leone 'accessiblity of women to health care has improved so it makes sense to provide an integrated service. One in three 15 yos in SL are pregnant, and teen pregnancies account for 40% of maternal deaths.

Aung San Suu Kyi via video link>

'the right kind of family planning means we will produce healthier children who will be better educated .. family planning means planning for the future'

Indonesian Minister for People's Welfare

'Indonesia birth rate of 5.6 children per women was not sustainable'

they implemented a 'small happy and prosperous family campaign' to reduced birth rate.

Political will and commitment, including funding
establishing a national FP coordinating board
board has effective management from national to local level
collaberation with broad spectrum of stakeholders

currently developing this idea further

we are extremely proud of how FP has helped individuals, families and our country but we still face challenges. we commit to improve access, increasing family planning clinics, increasing mobile FP services in remote areas. we are addressing financial barriers by introducing insurance services for the poor. Free antenatal and postnatal care and postpartum FP.

We have a responsiblitiy to share our experience. We have learned a lot and have a lot to share. We are pleased to announce that we will include FP in our universal health programme.

we will increase finance for FP programme

Highlight upcoming global youth forum

Successful FP movement means a bright future for the upcoming generation and the country.

I would like to invite all of you to see FP programme in my country.

Is it a woman's right to have FP?

Question asked to panel.

Dr Naveen Rao from Merck for Mothers 'I truly believe that women's rights are expanded through FP. When they have access to FP they have a tool that will allow them to access other women's rights. They can contribute to society.

We know that through access to FP, we wil be saving lives, but also empowering them. Girls can finish school, avoid HIV infection, get married later.

In Malawi we are saying

No parenthood before adulthood

oh, whoops. Sorry. THat was Michelle Bachelet from UN Women, not the woman from Merck Health.

Malawi VP promises to raise age of marriage to 18 years

Prof Haque, MoH for Bangladesh talking the issues in getting FP services to rural areas.

hmm. Delegate from Niger is talking about men's role in this but sadly he is speaking in French and they forgot to give the bloggers headsets for translation. If I find someone who can tell me what he is saying, will update. My French is not up to this.

Watching it on the livestream: he identified the need to educate husbands and to change their function (to their wives) from one of "master" to "teacher".

CE of Save the Children talking about the importance of FP.

Telling story of a young girl who was raped by a man, when she was 11yo, got pregnant but lost the baby and suffered fistula from the birth. She is now 14yo and being shunned by the village. These stories are sadly not unusual.

Talks of funding and training 1/4m health workers and
funding 1/4m girls to go to school

He was talking about using men's "leadership" of the family in a positive way by teaching men about contraception and getting them to get their wives to go to the clinics.