Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116108

Ilze Melngailis, EngenderHealth, 440 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10001, 212-561-8440, imelngailis@engenderhealth.org

This session will contrast two case examples of current IUD marketing programs that represent two classic scenarios of root causes – from the demand side of the health economics equation - of low utilization of this method. The first case, an ongoing program in Guinea, addresses a situation in which awareness of the method is extremely low. The second case presents a project ongoing in Kenya, where the opposite situation exists: high method awareness, but negative perception of the method. Results of qualitative studies done in both cases, and rationale for the communications interventions designed will be presented. The need for a holistic approach will be highlighted, including a description of how the marketing program was integrated with training and other interventions to strengthen IUD service delivery at project sites.

This session will form part of a panel designed to focus on “knowledge-to-practice” with respect to “IUD Revitalization”, and will address specifically the marketing communications problems and potential solutions for improving awareness of and demand for this method.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to describe a methodology for identifying root causes of low demand for IUDs by family planning clients, and to define the two general categories in which the problems fall. Participants will learn, through two case examples of ongoing programs in Africa, approaches for addressing each situation in a low-resource setting and their pros and cons.

Keywords: Contraception, Marketing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation