On December 4-5, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, Jean Christophe Fotso, Executive Director of EVIHDAF, participated in a workshop convened by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss intention to use (ITU) family planning as a key demand indicator. The goal was to broaden the base and amplify the voices of interested Global South partners in requesting that the questions on ITU family planning methods that are used in the next iteration of the core DHS questionnaires include a time dimension.

Overall, participants were in favor of prioritizing ITU as a person-centered measure, broadening the question to current users (intention to continue to use) and adding a follow up question on the preferred method. It was equally concluded that adding a time dimension to the DHS questions on intention to use FP is essential, and that the 12-month close ended question is preferred to the open-ended question.