Strengthening Contraceptive Security for Long-Acting and Permanent Methods

RESPOND contributed to the global dialogue on contraceptive security by developing resources and implementing country-based interventions to address the challenge that many programs face in forecasting contraceptive needs and transporting contraceptives and supplies to the health facility from the district level. RESPOND created and tested a tool—COPE® for Contraceptive Security—and an associated job aid designed to address supply chain issues. Applications of this tool in Tanzania and Malawi and highlights of the experience are included in this section.

RESPOND played a leadership role by advocating for contraceptive security through publication of a journal article that proposed a definition of contraceptive security: “Contraceptive security exists when all people are able to choose, obtain, and use the contraceptive methods and services they desire, from the full range of potential methods, in order to achieve their reproductive intentions.”

Further contributions were made to the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) at its annual meetings and through its working groups (the Caucus on New and Underused Reproductive Health Technologies and the Systems Strengthening Working Group) and with the Sécurité contraceptive en Afrique Francophone (SECONAF) working group. One highlight includes a plenary presentation entitled Contraceptive Security: Incomplete without Long-Acting and Permanent Contraception (available online), which was based on a review of 13 national and two regional contraceptive security strategies, key documents, and a secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data from 19 countries, including met and unmet need, demand for spacing and limiting births, and the method mix among spacers and limiters.

RESPOND also contributed information on Reality Check to a USAID-developed guide called Getting the Numbers Right: A Guide to USAID-Developed Contraceptive Forecasting Tools (PDF, 1.1 MB). Moreover, RESPOND collaborated with the RHSC and the USAID|DELIVER Project to ensure the inclusion of long-acting and permanent methods in key conversations and materials.

Resources related to global and country experiences on strengthening contraceptive security are contained in this section.

© 2009-2014 EngenderHealth/The RESPOND Project.
COPE, Men As Partners, and MAP are registered trademarks of EngenderHealth. SEED is a trademark of EngenderHealth.
Photo credits: M. Tuschman/EngenderHealth; A. Fiorente/EngenderHealth; C. Svingen/EngenderHealth.

This web site was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the terms of the cooperative agreement GPO-A-000-08-00007-00. The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the USAID or the U.S. Government.

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