Global Leaders to Unveil Latest Family Planning Advancements at Landmark Conference in Dakar

International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) will draw over 1,000 scientists, global health experts, policymakers, and advocates to Dakar, Senegal, on 29 November – 2 December 2011

September 19, 2011 — Leading experts from around the world will gather in Dakar, Senegal, in late November to share the latest research in contraceptive technology, to discuss the impact of family planning programs on the lives of women and children on the ground, and to strategize ways to meet the family planning needs of millions worldwide. Access to voluntary family planning helps to advance the health and wellbeing of women and their families, and has been increasingly heralded as a crucial strategy for global development.

With more than 140 sessions over the 3 conference days, panelists and speakers will present the latest research on methods and best practices that can help women and men plan the number, spacing, and timing of their children. The conference will foster critical discussions and decisive action to increase access for the 215 million women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy, but do not use or have access to modern contraception. Highlights will include:

· High-Level Speakers: The Vice Presidents of Ghana and Malawi will give keynote speeches, and Melinda Gates will open the conference with a video address. In addition, health and finance ministers from across Africa will attend, along with DFID Under Secretary Stephen O'Brien and the First Ladies of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mozambique and Senegal.

· Contraceptive TechnologyInnovations: Scientists and public health experts will review the latest advances in contraceptive research, from new methods in the pipeline to innovative approaches to improve existing methods.

· Renewed Focus on Youth: Young people from a wide range of countries will reinforce the reasons why investing in family planning is an investment in the future.

The ICFP, co-sponsored by over 30 international organizations including USAID, DFID, AFD, UNFPA, WHO, European Commission, World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will galvanize renewed political and financial commitment to family planning from leaders across sectors. Last year, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with AusAID, DFID, and USAID to launch a global initiative to reduce unmet family planning need by 100 million over five years. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and partners also launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, providing a roadmap on how to improve women’s health through access to reproductive health, including voluntary family planning and contributing $40 billion to the cause. With the world’s population set to exceed 7 billion next month, access to contraceptives has become an ever more critical health and rights issue forwomen, their families, and nations worldwide.

WHAT: International Conference on Family Planning 2011

WHEN: Tuesday, 29 November – Friday, 2 December 2011

WHERE: Le Méridien Président, Dakar, Senegal

To register for the International Conference on Family Planning or to sign up for regular updates, please visit:

www.fpconference2011.org/registration

For more information on the International Conference on Family Planning, please visit: www.fpconference2011.org

ELECTRONIC UPDATES AND AN ONLINE PRESS ROOM WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MEDIA UNABLE TO ATTEND.

Follow us at @FPDakar2011

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.