Bridging Gaps in Women's Health: Niger State's Push for Better Access to Family Planning

The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council focuses on improving maternal health outcomes by providing reproductive health and family planning resources, including contraception and educational counseling, at clinics, local health facilities, and community organizations. Since 2010, the country’s maternal mortality rate has fallen and the rate of married women using modern contraceptives has reached 69%.

To educate and prepare new mothers, Centering Pregnancy and Centering Parenting sites in the United States offer community-based patient-centered care in low-income areas. Centering offers interactive learning, check-ups, and social support, so that women can take charge of their health.

Through the mDoc NudgeHub, Lagos residents can access health screenings, coaching, and health education at one of five hubs across the state. People who use the in-person services may be referred to health centers for more in-depth care or receive virtual coaching and education. More than 4,000 women have been served by the hubs so far.

In Kern County, where pregnancy-related mortality rates are more than double the California average and Black mothers face life-threatening complications at nearly three times the rate of white women, community doulas are working to bridge the gap between patients and the medical system. Since California expanded Medi-Cal coverage to include doula services in January 2023, more than 1,400 doulas have enrolled statewide, with active training pipelines building the workforce locally.

Jacquelyn Alvarado, a certified nurse midwife with the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, travels across Texas to teach rural hospital staff how to deliver babies. Using a mannequin, she runs simulations covering both routine and complicated deliveries for ER nurses, paramedics, and other non-obstetrical staff who may be the only help available when a rural patient goes into labor.

In 2025, Bauchi State launched the Impact Project to address Nigeria's maternal health crisis by deploying 100 Skilled Birth Attendants across 20 Local Government Areas, alongside free delivery kits and regular salary payments to increase access to professional childbirth care.

The Bauchi State Impact Project aims to improve maternal and newborn health by training 100 people to become skilled birth attendants. Despite infrastructure challenges, the Project not only provides work and purpose to those trained, but also helps make childbirth safer by providing much-needed care.

Thanks to Nigeria’s Self-Care Policy, residents can access free injectable contraceptives that can be administered without the support of health workers. Patients learn how to use the injectable during their first appointment at a health center and are then able to take up to a year of doses with them to administer independently each month at home. Since 2014, when the self-injectables were first introduced, the country’s rate of contraceptive prevalence has risen from 4% to 15%.

The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council implemented a comprehensive national family planning program that offers integrated reproductive health services delivered through multiple channels including local clinics, mobile outreach units, community health workers, and youth-friendly centers. The program provides access to contraceptives, counseling, and peer education to address maternal mortality and unplanned pregnancy rates. Over the past decade, maternal mortality has dropped by 78%, and unintended pregnancies have also significantly decreased.

In an effort to address maternal mortality rates and overall maternal health conditions, groups of midwives are hosting community dialogue sessions that serve as educational opportunities for preventing danger. Maternal and infant mortality rates have already begun to decrease, and midwives also provide support beyond education, giving mothers food and other supplies as needed.