The cost of quality contraceptives and condoms needed is projected to rise from $1 billion to $1.8 billion between 2004 and 2015.
Since the mid-1960s, the contraceptive prevalence rate in developing countries has increased from approximately 10 per cent to almost 60 per cent, with a projected increase in users for the period 2000-2025 of 40 per cent.
Increased demand for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS is also contributing to rising requirements for reproductive health commodities including condoms.
Estimated requirements for contraceptives and condoms for 2002 were $657 million.
In 2002, donor support for contraceptives amounted to $197.5 million – a 12 per cent decline from the figure of $224.2 million in 2001.
Between 1990 and 2002, 17 donors and agencies provided support for reproductive health commodities in the amount of $1.8 million.
The cost of providing modern contraceptive services to current users in the developing world is $7.1 billion per year (in 2003 dollars). Supplies represent about 19 per cent of this figure, the rest is for labour, overhead and services. Each year, this spending saves the lives of 215,000 mothers.
If contraceptive services were provided to all 201 million women in the developing world who would like to delay or avoid pregnancy if they could, 1.5 million lives would be saved each year.
The female condom is the only currently available method that women can initiate, and in some ways control, and that provides protection from both unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.
In just one year (2001), UNFPA helped procure and distribute more than $27.4 million worth of condoms. That’s over half a billion condoms for protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.