Paraguay’s National Contraceptive Services Committee
Recognising the importance of providing contraception and family planning, Paraguay’s National Contraceptive Services Committee, ‘Comité para la Disponibilidad Asegurada de Insumos Anticonceptivos’ (DAIA), was established in 2003 and is supported by USAID and the UNFPA. The DAIA Committee aims to increase the access, use and understanding of contraception. The ambition behind this is to empower women and girls, improve socio-economic development and reduce poverty throughout Paraguay.
In 2004, fecundity in Paraguay stood at 2.9, with 17.9% of women in need of family planning services. The DAIA Committee has built and strengthened an enabling policy environment, leading to increased funding and political commitment to contraceptive access throughout the country. Most notably, it has led to the passing of a law securing protected public funds to purchase contraceptives and opening the possibility that contraceptives could be obtained through social security means.