Women in Burkina Faso are the first to gain access to a new, easy-to-use contraceptive injection that lasts for three months, costs $1, and could transform womens lives in the worlds poorest countries, according to health officials. The new Pfizer-developed contraceptive, Sayana Press, is a small, all-in-one disposable needle and syringe developed for populations where access to modern contraception is limited or nonexistent. It delivers a dose of the widely used drug Depo-Provera. Last week, a collaboration among Pfizer, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (which also funds TakePart World), and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation was announced to expand the distribution of Sayana Press to 69 developing countries by 2020. Access to contraceptives is crucial in the developing world. For those 69 countries alone, Sayana Press could prevent 77 million unintended pregnancies and 125,000 deaths during childbirth, according to a report released last year by Family Planning 2020, a global partnership organization focused on voluntary family planning. “When women are able to plan their families, they are more likely to survive pregnancy and childbirth, to have healthier newborns and children, and to invest more in their families’ health and well-being,” said Dr. Chris Elias, president of Global Development Programs at the Gates Foundation, in a statement.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 05:15:17 +0000
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