We’re working to make sure reproductive health services reach everyone

Today, more women in Nicaragua and Vietnam have access to contraceptives and reproductive health services than ever before. Thanks to the hard work of both countries’ governments, successful family planning programs exist and free contraceptives are widely available, contributing to an impressive rate of social and economic development in both Nicaragua and Vietnam.

Yet coupled with this success is a major new challenge: waning donor support.

PATH is helping both countries enhance their family planning sectors to fill the void in support and create a sustainable model that will allow even the poorest citizens to access contraception and other important supplies.

Meeting diverse needs

As incomes rise in Nicaragua and Vietnam, international donors are shifting their support to countries with greater need. While external funding decreases, the demand for family planning services is increasing. The governments must find a way to continue funding these important services.

In each country, PATH is supporting governments as they plan how to coordinate their full range of family planning service providers—including the public and private sectors, social marketing groups, and nongovernmental organizations—to serve the diverse needs of their populations.

This total market approach directs people who can pay for family planning services to the private sector, freeing up public-sector resources for those most in need. This helps ensure a consistent supply of contraceptives for all users who want and need them. It also has the potential to increase family planning access among the most vulnerable groups who have remained consistently underserved—in particular, ethnic minorities, the poor, those who live in geographically remote areas or areas with poor infrastructure, and adolescents.

Looking toward a global solution

Over a three-year period, PATH will collaborate with the governments to build on the work that has already been achieved in this area. We will conduct interviews with stakeholders to understand their how they make decisions around family planning services, and we will use this information to develop plans for how the public and private sectors can reach their targeted populations. We will disseminate the lessons we learn to promote widespread readiness for similar approaches around the globe.

This approach will continue to ensure that everyone has access to contraceptives, family planning, and other important reproductive services and supplies to improve their health and lives.

Photo: PATH/Mike Wang.