AFIDEP participates in world-changing family planning summit in London
23 July 2012
Melinda French Gates, co-chair and trustee of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Secretary of State for International Development attend the London Summit on Family Planning at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London, England on July 11, 2012. Photo: Gates Foundation

On July 11th, 2012, the UK Government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with UNFPA, and other development partners will host the London Summit on Family Planning. This groundbreaking conference will mobilize global policy, financing commodity, and service delivery commitments in order to support the right to contraceptive use, services, and supplies. The summit will call for unprecedented international commitment to support the right of women and girls to decide how many children they want to have and when.

Partner panel discussions on topics ranging from Women’s and Girl’s Empowerment and Generating Demand and Universal Access to Family Planning to the Role of the Private Sector will be presented in parallel to the London Summit. These discussions will focus on key impact areas to increase contraceptive access and use around the world.

Event Objectives

The Family Planning Summit’s agenda is to provide access to life saving family planning information, services, and supplies to an additional 120 million women by 2020.  According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, achieving this objective would result in over 200,000 fewer women and girls dying in pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly 3 million fewer children dying before reaching their first birthday.

Furthermore, according to the London Family Planning Summit website, the summit will aim to:

  • Revitalise global commitments to family planning and access to contraceptives as a cost-effective and transformational development priority;
  • Improve the access and distribution of contraceptive supplies; and
  • Remove and reduce barriers to family planning

AFIDEP’s participation

Leading up to the family planning summit, AFIDEP Executive Director Dr. Eliya Zulu participated in a technical advisory group for family planning monitoring and accountability organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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