Equity and Achievement in Access to Contraceptives in East Africa between 2000 and 2010

Chirag Shah, Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY)
April Griffith, Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY)
James Ciera, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
Tia Palermo, Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY)
Sirina Keesara, University of California, San Francisco
Eliya M. Zulu, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

Once women in all segments of society gain access to contraceptives, fertility rates will naturally drop, slowing population growth while creating a demographic dividend. This study examines recent trends in contraceptive use in East Africa from an equity perspective. We examine (1) progress in equity of CPR and (2) increases in average levels of contraceptive prevalence, two phenomena that do not necessarily progress together. Utilizing Demographic and Health Survey data collected at 3 time points for 6 East African countries, we demonstrate how regional stratification improves upon previous analyses of equity in CPR. We also highlight that though progress in CPR can be preceded by initial decreases in equity, continuous or large improvements in CPR are not possible without increases in equity. These results create opportunities for policy and program lessons to be gleaned from East African countries’ successes in improving CPR by improving equity.