The Higher Population Council, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), its strategic partner, held a scientific and consultative meeting on the status of family planning in Jordan and its connection to development needs and outcomes. The two-day conference took place from September 25-26, 2024, coinciding with World Contraception Day, observed on September 26 each year. This year’s theme was “Access to Contraception is a Human Right.
The meeting was attended by 36 officials and professionals involved in policy-making and/or providing and managing family planning services in relevant national institutions. These institutions included the Ministry of Health, Royal Medical Services, university hospitals, UNRWA, the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection, the Family Health Care Institute, the Health Care Accreditation Council, the Jordanian Pharmacists Association, the Jordanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Jordanian Nursing Council, representatives of donor agencies and funded projects, particularly the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Health Services Quality Improvement Project (HSQA), the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), the Royal Health Awareness Society, the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Save the Children, International Relief Organization, and the Jordan Health Aid Society.
The purpose of the meeting was to present and discuss the current state of family planning programs and explore prospects for their development. It also aimed to highlight these programs' role in expanding opportunities for men and women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and to support national and donor efforts to improve maternal and child health and achieve gender equality.
The Secretary-General of the Higher Population Council, Professor Issa Al-Massarwa, emphasized that the demographic situation and trends in Jordan are largely influenced by decisions and events that take place within families, which are the fundamental social units in any society. These decisions include elements of reproductive health and its services, such as decisions related to marriage, childbirth, and the use of contraception. He pointed out that all these family decisions are broad issues that affect various aspects of life. He further underscored the importance of this meeting, which is closely linked to one of the core tasks of the General Secretariat of the Higher Population Council in monitoring the implementation of the National Population Strategy and the National Reproductive and Sexual Health Strategy, both of which are included in the third decade of the current century after being approved by the Cabinet and circulated to relevant ministries and institutions for implementation.
On behalf of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Tsofinar Harutyunyan, Representative and Programme Coordinator in Jordan, affirmed the Fund's commitment to supporting the Jordanian government and partners in ensuring universal access to family planning services. UNFPA recognizes that family planning is not only essential for public health but also a driver of sustainable development. It aims to reduce unmet needs, especially in rural areas and among refugees, by ensuring the availability of modern contraceptives and providing individuals with the information and services they need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. This is crucial for reducing maternal mortality, improving child health, and fostering stronger, more resilient communities.
The meeting included five sessions over two days, covering key topics such as: the national framework for reproductive health and the place of family planning within it, family planning counseling in Jordan: its reality and opportunities, developments in modern contraceptives and helping childless couples conceive and give birth, the family planning program and its returns on development, and policy priorities to strengthen the family planning program in Jordan.
During the first day's sessions, digital scientific presentations were given by experts on topics such as: contraception and fertility in Jordan over the past decade: levels, trends, methods, and sources; the status of modern contraceptive use among direct variables affecting fertility; the level of use of modern contraceptives among Jordanians and refugees and its impact on the number of pregnancies, the number of antenatal care visits, the number of births, and the number of deliveries; the current status of family planning counseling in Jordan according to the results of the demographic and health surveys and data from the modern methods information system in the Ministry of Health; and improving the quality of family planning services for Syrian refugees in Jordan.
Presentations also reviewed counseling services in health service providers and the role of community health workers, as presented by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Royal Medical Services, the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection, the Family Health Care Institute, and counseling services in health service providers in refugee communities, as presented by representatives from UNRWA, Save the Children, the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, the Jordanian Health Aid Society for Syrian Refugees, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The role of USAID projects in strengthening family planning policies and programs in Jordan was also reviewed.
The second day's program included several scientific and knowledge-based presentations by experts on topics such as: developments in modern contraceptives, developments in modern methods to help childless couples conceive and give birth, IUD insertion after vaginal and cesarean births and after pregnancy loss: the pros and cons according to published research, IUD insertion after vaginal and cesarean births: local medical opinion and position, building consensus on the role of rights and sexual and reproductive health in the development process in Jordan, the economic returns of family planning at the international level, the needs for modern contraceptives purchased by the Ministry of Health and their cost (2025-2030), the impact of responding to household needs for modern contraceptives on development in the housing, water, education, and labor market sectors.
The meeting concluded with a summary of the ideas and challenges raised during the meeting and ways to overcome them to strengthen the family planning program in Jordan, distributed across the areas of legislation, enabling environment, programs, services, and the community. It was emphasized that investing in family planning programs and meeting the unmet needs of families is an investment in a healthier and more equitable future for all, benefiting individuals, families, and society, and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
