Population Council Research that makes a difference

While emergency contraception (EC) is relatively little known, governments in a number of countries have incorporated it, or expressed interest in incorporating it, as part of their family planning programs. Operations research has played a vital role in increasing knowledge and use of EC: Research by the Population Council and ECafrique (the African Consortium for Emergency Contraception), has led to the inclusion of EC in national family planning and post-rape strategies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This project synthesized and disseminated the experience of programs around the world that have successfully introduced EC into their method mix. Researchers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America collected materials and toolkits on EC and prepared a background paper for each region on introducing, providing, and scaling up EC services. These papers and materials formed the basis of a global implementation guidance tool intended for program managers and service providers. The guidelines were presented at a meeting in Washington, DC.