From November 12-15, more than 3,700 people gathered for the fifth International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) in Kigali, Rwanda. The theme of the 2018 ICFP was “Investing for a Lifetime of Returns.” Experts from around the world delivered presentations that illustrated why an investment in family planning now will offer valuable returns in maternal and child health, education, economic growth, gender equity, and environmental health moving forward.
Contraceptive technology innovation was an area that was highlighted throughout the week. Researchers from many organizations shared their cutting-edge work being done to increase access to existing methods and develop new technologies for both women and men. For example, the Population Council’s President Julia Bunting gave an award-winning pitch for a new contraceptive gel for men that began clinical trial testing earlier this week.
Dr. Laneta Dorflinger from FHI 360 and Heather Vahdat from the Male Contraceptive Initiative were also present to provide insight about exciting technological innovations in contraception. During a Facebook Live discussion, Dorflinger and Vahdat described some of the most promising products in their respective pipelines, including microneedle patches and vaso-occlusive devices. Like many other conference attendees, the two were enthusiastic about current advances and shared an optimistic outlook for the future of the field.
To learn more about the conference and watch video archives, visit the ICFP hub.
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Written by Katelyn Jones, Fellow, Contraceptive Technology Innovation Exchange