For the 2,200 delegates at the International Conference on Family Planning, the opening plenary featured the president of Senegal and the head of the United Nations Population Fund. But it was two youth leaders who stole the show.

The featured speakers included international dignitaries, headlined by the president of Senegal, but the younger leaders made a dramatic plea with an adamant demand: involve youth in family planning decision making.

The 2011 International Conference on Family Planning is being held from November 29 to December 2 in Dakar, Senegal. During the week, MLI will be posting live blogs from the sessions and events around the conference. This morning, MLI was able to meet with health economist and MLI consultant Justin Tine for an update on a study he is currently working on about the removal of user fees for maternal health services. 

In order for policymakers to make the best choices, they need evidence of what works. That is why Senegalese health economist Justin Tine has been working for the past six months on a study about removing user fees for all maternal health care services in Senegal.