141st APHA Annual Meeting

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Evidence to advocate for family planning and contraceptive security

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Suzy Sacher, MPH , USAID | DELIVER PROJECT, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Leslie Patykewich, MA , USAID | DELIVER PROJECT, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Emma Stewart, MA , USAID | Deliver PROJECT, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Ellie Bahirai, MPH , USAID | Deliver Project, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Marie Tien, MHS , USAID | Deliver Project, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Nadia Olson, MA , USAID | Deliver Project, John Snow, Inc., Arlington, VA
Increasingly, Ministries of Health are recognizing the importance of attaining contraceptive security (CS)—the condition where everyone is able to choose, obtain, and use quality contraceptives whenever they need them.

To monitor progress toward contraceptive security, the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT designed a set of indicators that enable an understanding of the CS situation in a given country by assessing various contributors to contraceptive security, including finance for procurement, methods offered, policies, coordination, and the supply chain. Monitoring the CS situation enables evidence-based advocacy, decision making, and program planning.

The survey data (collected from over 40 countries) indicate that countries have worked to improve contraceptive security. For example, of the surveyed countries, 90 percent have coordination committees that address contraceptive security, and 63 percent contribute government funds for contraceptives. On average, they offer 8 contraceptive methods in public-sector facilities.

In many of the surveyed countries, however, improvements can still be made, including by increasing the amount of government contributions for contraceptives, expanding the range of contraceptive methods included in essential medicine lists, and enhancing the reliable availability of contraceptives.

Findings from annual CS Indicator surveys from 2009 on are available on the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT website, via country dashboards, online maps, papers, and data spreadsheets. The availability of the online CS Indicator information allows for data visibility and tailored analyses. The dashboards and maps also further promote informed advocacy and decision making by making the data more visual and easily accessible.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Define contraceptive security. Assess a country's contraceptive security situation based on its finances, policies, coordination, methods offered, and supply chain information. Explain how you can quickly access and use country-specific dashboards for advocacy and program planning purposes.

Keywords: Family Planning, Performance Measurement

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have managed the Contraceptive Security Indicators annual survey and analyzed its data since the inception of the survey in 2009.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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