Unmet Need for Family Planning in Guinea: An in-Depth Analysis based on the 2018 DHS

In Guinea, the contraceptive prevalence rate is one of the lowest in Africa. In 2018, this rate was only 11% for women in union and the level of unmet need for contraception reached 22%, representing a potential demand for FP of 33% (EDS 2018). However, it has been shown in several studies that Family Planning is one of the least expensive, cost- effective interventions and has the most lasting impact on reducing maternal, neonatal and child mortality and on the health of populations in general. Since 2000, the Government has adopted various strategies to improve the health of women and children. Family planning services are integrated throughout the health system pyramid but do not yet cover all health facilities, particularly in rural areas. FP services are now also delivered by community-based services. The objective of this study is to highlight the determinants that have the greatest impact on the level of unmet needs for family planning in Guinea and on which action should be taken to implement the national population policy and the national reproductive health policy. The analyses were carried out using data from the demographic and health survey carried out in 2018 on fertile women in union who were likely to become pregnant at the time of the survey. The results indicate that the main determinants of unmet needs for FP are: age, level of education, number of surviving children, region of residence. However, unmet needs do not vary significantly according to the place of residence, the level of household well-being or the level of education of the spouse. The low level of demand for FP suggests that FP programs should target all women of reproductive age, by increasing awareness to generate demand and improve the supply of FP services.