New York, September 26, 2022 – Today, the Guttmacher Institute released its Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator, an interactive, web-based tool designed to estimate the positive impacts of investments in family planning services. For any given investment amount, the calculator estimates the number of modern contraceptive users that would be served, unintended pregnancies and abortions that would be averted, women’s and girls’ lives that would be saved, and cost savings that would accrue for health systems. The tool can produce estimates—in the currency of your choice—for 132 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) or for subregional and regional groupings of LMICs. Accompanying graphics can be used to advocate for sustained or increased investments in family planning.
Recent estimates reveal that in LMICs, 218 million women have an unmet need for modern contraception. Modern contraceptive care is a key component of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services, offering numerous health benefits to individuals, families and communities. The Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator allows stakeholders to quantify these benefits. Users enter actual, planned or hypothetical investment amounts and receive impact estimates that can inform funding strategies at the country and regional levels, by governments and donors. Although the calculator itself is only available in English, users are also able to select French or Spanish as output languages for their results.
“We are very excited to roll out the Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator. This innovative online tool will provide stakeholders with evidence-based estimates of the health benefits they can expect from investments in family planning services,” says Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute. “Funding sexual and reproductive health care is not only the right and sensible thing to do for the health of women and girls—it’s also a smart investment that leads to significant savings in the long run.”
“Investments in sexual and reproductive health services—including family planning programs—are at a critical juncture, particularly as decision makers in resource-strapped countries continue to face budgetary challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new tool is a game changer. Users are now able to generate estimates and graphics that show what improvements in health outcomes, lives saved and cost savings to health systems can result from a certain level of investment—and then use this information to strengthen their advocacy efforts,” says Elizabeth Sully, Senior Research Scientist at the Guttmacher Institute.
“Investing in essential sexual and reproductive health services results in immense health gains. The Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator—especially when used along with Guttmacher country profiles that detail the need for and costs of sexual and reproductive health services—is an important resource to equip advocates, policymakers and donors with a strong business case for investing in these essential services,” says Rachel Murro, Senior Research Assistant at the Guttmacher Institute.
Family planning is also a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and key to achieving universal health coverage. By investing in people’s health and well-being—ensuring that they have access to contraceptive services that meet their family planning needs—countries stand to move closer to their national development goals.
About the Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator
The estimates generated by the Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator are based on data from the Adding It Up 2019 study and on the costs of providing services in 2022 US dollars.
Figures entered into the calculator are assumed to cover the full cost of contraceptive care—both service delivery costs, and associated programs and systems costs. The Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator assumes that all investments are made for a single calendar year, during 2022. For more details, visit the FAQ.
About Adding It Up
Adding It Up is an ongoing Guttmacher Institute project that estimates the need for, impact of and costs associated with providing essential sexual and reproductive health services. The project estimates the investment needed to ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are available to all women of reproductive age (15–49)—as well as to adolescents specifically—and their newborns in LMICs.
About the Guttmacher Institute
The Guttmacher Institute is a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide.