Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act

2006-2007 Regular Session 1st House H.R. 1225

Summary: This bill would extend voluntary reproductive health and family planning services to the poorest families in the poorest countries by gradually doubling available resources between 2007 and 2011. Priority for services will go to countries with high fertility rates and acute unmet family planning needs. Systems will be strengthened to ensure an uninterrupted supply of modern contraceptives in developing countries, and promote health system capacity building, health worker training, community education, private sector partnerships and coordination with HIV/AIDS programs.

What You Should Know: Currently, U.S. support for international family planning programs—providing contraception, prenatal care and HIV/AIDS prevention—serve 20 million couples in 50 of the world's poorest nations. However there are still at least 350 million couples in developing countries that want, but do not have, access to modern contraception. Family planning programs help meet basic human needs, are cost effective and integral to health and development goals. For many women, these health programs are the critical point of entry into the health system to provide them with access to other critical health services, as well as enabling them to decide if, when and how many children to have.

Primary Sponsor(s): Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)

Introduction Date: 2/28/2007

Last Major Action:

2/28/07. Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.