Repositioning in Action E-Bulletin
March 2006
The e-bulletin was developed to provide a forum for the exchange of information, experiences, and lessons learned as we work to improve sustainable access to quality family planning services and commodities.
Table of Contents
Madagascar Taking Charge
Two years into its five-year National Family Planning Strategy, Madagascar is off to a running start. The government has raised the profile of family planning and reproductive health on the national health agenda in what is quickly becoming a prime example of a successful effort to reposition family planning.
How the government repositioned family planning:
- Provided a unified vision
- National Family Planning Strategy adopted
- Raised family planning’s visibility
- Ministry of Health changed to the Ministry of Health and Family Planning
- Named an Executive Secretariat for Family Planning in the Office of the President
- Increased financial resources to family planning
- As part of the national poverty reduction strategy, the International Development Association budget includes US$3 million for contraceptives
- New budgetary line allocating US$150,000 in 2006 for contraceptives
- Involved multiple sectors
- Seven ministers as well as religious leaders, the President of the Republic of Madagascar, and members of Parliament participated in a national conference launching the national repositioning campaign
- Conservation community workers deliver family planning services and commodities
- Integrated programs: No missed opportunities
- Increased access to health, family planning, and environmental interventions by relying mainly on existing program resources
- Developed new family planning partners-World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International
Development of the new national strategy had its origins in 2002 when the government was struggling to address problems in contraceptive supply and distribution. The government turned to the Strategic Pathway to Achieving Reproductive Health Commodity Security (SPARHCS), a diagnostic guide developed and piloted by USAID and the United Nations Population Fund. SPARHCS generated a series of conferences, assessments, and workshops that assessed family planning policies and the political environment, demand for family planning, service delivery, and family planning financing. The process identified strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in the family planning program, including a lack of full commitment and clear direction from the government; a limited range of contraceptive methods offered; uncertain forecasting, supply, and distribution of commodity needs; and limited engagement of the private sector in providing contraceptives.
In January 2004, at the urging of President Ravalomanana, Madagascar changed the name of the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Health and Family Planning and launched a one-year initiative to reposition family planning. With USAID support, the newly named ministry provided leadership, set goals and priorities, and forged ahead with more analysis, partner dialogue, workshops, and ultimately, a national family planning conference in December 2004 where the National Family Planning Strategy was established.
Today, the Malagasy people have six contraceptive methods to choose from instead of four, contraceptives are on the country’s list of essential drugs, and the commodities distribution system has been redesigned to make room for a greater private sector role. The drive to reposition family planning has led to innovative programs integrating family planning and environmental activities, as well as broader action plans for youth and adolescent health, safe motherhood, and obstetric emergency care.
Have You Seen...
The Repositioning Family Planning Case Studies
Ghana:“Give Them the Power”
Malawi:“Choice, Not Chance”
Zambia:“Ready for Change”
Synthesis Report
Case studies coming soon from:
Tanzania
Senegal
For copies of the case studies, please visit http://www.acquireproject.org/index.php?id=258.
SPARHCS
The Strategic Pathway to Reproductive Health Commodity Security
SPARHCS supports countries in developing a strategic commitment and funded action plan for ensuring an adequate supply and range of quality contraceptives and other reproductive health commodities. The diagnostic guide helps stakeholders to assess the present situation, understand expectations for the future, and take into account significant trends from the past.
For more information, please visit: http://www.maqweb.org/sparhcs/index.shtml.
Integration Works
Findings from a recent evaluation of Population-Environment (PE) projects as presented at the Woodrow Wilson Center:
- Integrated PE projects are cost-efficient and effective, expanding target audiences, reducing operating expenses, and fostering community goodwill and trust.
- Advantages to family planning efforts: greater access to men and adolescent boys.
- Advantages to environmental efforts: greater female involvement, provides an “entry point,” and visible response to community needs.
- Family planning also benefits when packaged with the quickly perceived effects of health interventions such as immunization and improved water quality.
Additional population and environment resources include:
For more information on PE programs, contact Heather D’Agnes at hdagnes@usaid.gov.
We Want to Tell Your Repositioning Story
Please contact Kim Ocheltree at kocheltree@usaid.gov with your successes in family planning programming.
For more information on Repositioning Family Planning, please contact Shawn Malarcher at smalarcher@usaid.gov or Joan Robertson at jrobertson@usaid.gov.
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