What is the True Cost of Unwanted Pregnancies?

Today, Sarah Boseley, the health editor of the Guardian, dedicated her Global Health Blog to the issue of maternal health and family planning. In her post, Boseley discusses the difficulty in combatting maternal mortality. But, she references the true "quick win" when it comes to saving women from dying of complications from pregnancy and childbirth: Family Planning. She says:

"Family planning across the developing world may look expensive, but it's cheaper than dealing with unwanted pregnancies. Look at this from the Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA report entitled "Adding It Up: the costs and benefits of investing in family planning and maternal and newborn health".

The cost of providing modern family planning methods to women with unmet need is an additional $3.6 billion. That means that for each additional dollar spent to provide modern contraceptives, $1.40 would be saved in costs of medical care because fewer women would have unintended pregnancies."

When it comes to saving women's lives, family planning is a good place to start. Women around the world need access to family planning, and that includes counseling, services, and supplies. Download Focus on 5: Women's Health and the MDGs for more information of preventing maternal mortality.