Roy Jacobstein

Roy Jacobstein

Former global technical lead for family planning, IntraHealth International

A pediatrician and renowned public health physician, Dr. Roy Jacobstein's work in reproductive health, family planning, child health, and public health services in low-resource settings spans over 30 years—from Washington DC, to Indo-Chinese refugee camps, to countries across Africa and Asia. 

He served as an expert technical advisor at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he has been a key contributor to developing and updating WHO’s central guidance documents, Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use and Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers.

Jacobstein has also been a consultant for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Gates Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the World Bank, and Save the Children. His peer-reviewed papers address many topics including unmet need for family planning, long-acting reversible and permanent contraceptive methods, the fragility of sub-Saharan African health systems, and fostering change among providers in medical settings. Before joining IntraHealth, Jacobstein served for over a decade as chief of the Communication, Management, and Training Division in the Office of Population at the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as EngenderHealth’s medical director and clinical director of the ACQUIRE and RESPOND Projects. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

VITAL

Contraceptive Implants Are Driving Big Gains in Access to Family Planning

What have we achieved on the road to making universal access to family planning a reality? And what's next?

It’s Not Just for Women, You Know: 5 Ways for Men to Get More Involved in Contraception

When it comes to who’s using contraception, we aren’t even close to 50-50.
 

On World Population Day, Let's Do More for the World

The U.S. contribution to family planning programs represents less than one cheeseburger per American per year. We can do better.

The Kindest Cut: Global Need to Increase Vasectomy Availability

The unavailability of vasectomy services in low-income countries is a program issue and a gender issue. Here's how we can address it.

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AUTHORED RESOURCES

Placement of Dedicated Family Planning Providers to Broaden Method Choice and Increase Contraceptive Access and Uptake: Experience from South Sudan

This technical brief highlights one IntraHealth approach to improving access to family planning in South Sudan.
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Developing Composite Indicators for Integrated Family Planning; Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health; and Nutrition Services

IntraHealth's INSPiRE project is designed to catalyze a model of integrated service delivery—and associated performance indicators—into national policy and practice in francophone West Africa. This...

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On the Verge: Is Kenya Ready to Add Vasectomy to its Method Mix?

A Qualitative Study of Vasectomy Users, Providers, and Stakeholders in Four Counties

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Vasectomy: A Long, Slow Haul to Successful Takeoff

Vasectomy use is plagued by low demand among men. Nevertheless, its compelling advantages make substantial investment worthwhile. On the supply side, a priority is to actively link vasectomy with...

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