SENEGAL: AN EXEMPLAR IN FAMILY PLANNING
Senegal increased modern contraceptive prevalence from 7% in 2000 to 18% in 2019. This exemplary progress was driven by Senegal’s strong political commitment to family planning.
Modern contraceptive prevalence rate (%)
Senegal compared with other Family Planning Exemplar countries
Reseach Brief
In 2012, the government elevated reproductive health to the highest administrative level within the Ministry of Health and launched a national action plan that brought together government, civil society, religious leaders, and communities in pursuit of a shared vision:
“A Senegal where every woman, every child, every adolescent, and every young person has an equitable right to health and well-being and can participate fully in the building of an emerging Senegal.”
National Family Planning Action Plan (2012-2015)
This political commitment translated into innovative solutions across the health system. An informed push model of distributing contraceptives transformed supply chains, reducing stockouts to 2%. Task-sharing policies empowered frontline health workers to provide a broader range of methods, expanding access across the country. Multisectoral coordination aligned ministries of justice, finance, and education with shared goals, while evidence-based planning ensured that resources reached areas with the greatest need.
Senegal also mobilized communities as partners in this vision. The Bajenu Gox initiative engaged respected female elders as health advocates within communities, the School for Husbands shifted household decision-making dynamics, and religious leader engagement created pathways for family planning acceptance.