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Ghanaian women will consume 13.4 million cycles of contraceptive pills over the next three years, with the global figure standing at 2.05 billion, according to a report by the Reproductive Health Supply Coalition (RHSC).

    The Global Contraceptive Commodity Gap Analysis 2018 Report was launched at the Coalition’s Annual General Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, recently.

    It said by 2020 there would be 493 million users of contraceptives in the 135 low and middle income countries with 560,000 women in Ghana to receive doses of injectable contraceptives and implants.

    The Report indicates the contraceptive consumption needs over the next three years would require 8.45 billion dollars across the 135 countries alone.

    In most cases out of the pocket expenditures will account for the vast majority of that financing.

    In 2017, there were 1.1 million users of contraception in Ghana and in 2020 an estimated 1.21 billion dollars of contraceptives are expected to be consumed by all users.

    For the 135 low and middle income countries, the Report demonstrates that 3.58 billion cycles of contraceptive pills, 1.11 billion doses of injectables, 30.5 million IUDs and 21.2 million implants would be consumed.

    It said in 2017, 2.76 billion dollars worth of supplies were consumed and expected a cumulative cost of all supplies over the next three years to total 8.45 billion dollars.

    Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) says 214 million women of reproductive age have an unmet need for family planning method in developing countries.

    It said 24.2 per cent of the figure affected Africa, according to its 2015 records.

    The WHO is, therefore, working to promote family planning by producing evidence-based guidelines on safety and service delivery of contraceptive methods.

    It is also developing quality standards and providing prequalification of contraceptive commodities and helping countries to introduce, adapt and implement those tools to meet their needs.