By Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia
Across the WHO South-East Asia Region, millions of women face barriers to contraception because of poverty, entrenched gender norms, displacement, and systemic inequities. In 2023 alone, our region saw an estimated 32 000 maternal deaths—most of which were preventable.
On September 26, we join the global community in marking World Contraception Day and reaffirm our commitment to reproductive rights and wellbeing. This year’s theme—“A choice for all. Freedom to plan, power to choose”—is particularly relevant for our region, where contraception is much more than a health service.
Contraception is a pathway to autonomy, dignity, and opportunity. It is a proven intervention for saving lives, freeing women from unintended pregnancies, and allowing them to safely space births. Crucially, it empowers women and girls to plan their futures and exercise their own reproductive choices.
We have made encouraging progress. The regional indicator for SDG 3.7.1 shows that, on average, 87% of the demand for family planning is satisfied using modern methods. Most of our Member States exceed the benchmark of 75%. Leading performers such as DPR Korea (92%), Sri Lanka (90%), and India (88%), exemplify the strong political commitment and investments needed.
As encouraging as these results are, problems persist with subnational disparities, barriers to access, and challenges in reaching marginalized communities. Procurement and service delivery gaps also continue to affect equity and quality. The challenging global funding landscape compounds these issues, threatening both contraceptive commodity security and strategies for community empowerment that are essential for further progress.
Our WHO South-East Asia Region, in collaboration with Member States and partners, is responding by scaling up evidence-based practices to strengthen family planning services. Guided by WHO’s latest recommendations1, these efforts include bottleneck analyses, strengthening post-pregnancy family planning, promoting social and behaviour change communication, and enhancing policies for task-sharing.
On World Contraception Day, we call on all policymakers to expand access and ensure respectful and rights-based services. We also encourage engagement with men and boys, and urge stakeholders to secure sustainable financing and to invest in community-led solutions.
Contraception is a lifeline. Let us work together to give this choice to all, with the freedom to plan and the power to choose.
1 Bottleneck analyses (2023); Scaling up post-pregnancy family planning (2025); Social and behaviour change interventions for contraception and family planning (2025); Guidance on scaling up task sharing for contraceptive services(2025)- https://covid.comesa.int/health-topics/contraception#tab=tab_1