Parts of the country are desperate for more people economist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from economist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
African women embrace contraceptives as populations grow
An increasing number of women in Africa are taking advantage of family planning services. While this could be considered a success for governments and international partners, the birth rates are still high.
More African women are using contraceptives thanks to consistent campaigns by governments and NGOs
But there are also positive trends. More and more women are using modern contraceptives. According to the latest Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) report, the number has increased by 66% since 2012 from 40 million to more than 66 million women and girls.
When governments, UN agencies and private foundations launched the initiative eight years ago, they set an ambitious goal: to get 120 million more people in the world s 69 lowest-income countries to use modern contraceptives by 2020.