Strengthening family planning supply chains

Family planning is recognized as the second-best return on investment, after education, among all targets set under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal of “every pregnancy a planned pregnancy” is fundamental to progress in health and economic development. To tackle issues of access, continuity of use, and exercise of choice in family planning options, PATH is working to strengthen the supply chain of FP commodities. We designed and implemented initiatives to strengthen the supply chain systems in 8 states in India. Here's an overview of these interventions.

Author(s): PATH

Publication date: April 2022

Available materials

  1. English

    1. Strengthening family planning supply chains: Project overview 6.6 MB PDF

      To tackle issues of access, continuity of use, and exercise of choice in family planning options, PATH is working to strengthen the supply chain of FP commodities. PATH carried out FP supply chain assessments in 8 states. Based on data from assessment, PATH designed solutions to address identified challenges, piloted innovations and implemented the interventions in many states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
    2. Policy brief: Towards resilient family planning supply chains 5 MB PDF

      Accessible and inclusive family planning and reproductive health programmes are core parts of global development mandates. Target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) calls on nations “by 2030, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. This brief talks about impact of supply chain challenges, learnings from PATH's innovations and recommendations for scale.
    3. Strengthening family planning supply chain: Lessons learnt from pioneering pilots in India 167.9 MB PDF

      A robust supply chain ensures reliable supply, promotes agency, and contributes in reducing unmet need for modern contraceptives. Family Planning supply chains in India are fraught with resource and logistics issues, which impact the availability of products at the last mile. To combat issues of access, continuity of use, and exercise of choice, PATH designed and implemented initiatives to strengthen the supply chain of FP commodities in 8 states in India.
    4. Engaging India post to strengthen family planning supply chains 5 MB PDF

      Breaks in transport mechanisms, fragments an already burdened supply chain even further, leading to delays in acquiring stock, and reduced access for end users. To address identified challenges and promote agency and access in family planning and reproductive health solutions, PATH identified several interventions, to address gaps in specific points of the supply chain. To bridge transport gaps and ensure uninterrupted availability of contraceptives at district warehouses, which in turn supply FP products to primary healthcare facilities, PATH engaged the India Post in delivering packages to urban, rural, remote, and hard to reach corners of the country to strengthen the distribution system for the family planning products.
    5. Addressing stock out of family planning products through informed push model 6.2 MB PDF

      PATH’s assessment of the family planning supply chain in eight states in India showed recurring stock outs of family planning products at downstream facilities. Multiple reasons were attributed to stock outs, including human resource and accountability issues, and lack of proper knowledge, processes, and skills. To address identified challenges and promote agency and access in family planning and reproductive health solutions, PATH supported in end-to-end FP supply chain model. PATH implemented the Informed Push Model (IPM) which allows upstream personnel to anticipate the required quantity of stock and directly push the supplies into the system, rather than wait for downstream facilities to request stock. This minimised the need to place orders and reduced the time between indenting and delivery, as the supplies were replenished at regular intervals, preventing stock outs.
    6. Last mile availability of family planning commodities through ASHA kits 6.2 MB PDF

      Continuous availability of a wide range of contraceptive methods is a key factor in people’s ability to plan families. A reliable stock of contraceptives supports voluntary choice, contributes to user satisfaction, and promotes method continuation.

      Equipping frontline health workers with the tools to provide a full range of contraceptives, at regular intervals, is key to promoting use of contraceptives of choice, and regular uptake. To address identified challenges and promote agency and access in family planning and reproductive health solutions, PATH identified several interventions, to address gaps in specific points of the supply chain and provided end to end support ensuring the ASHA kits reach the last mile.
    7. Graphic novel: Constructing order from disorder 18.2 MB PDF

      Poor maintenance of the warehouses leads to mismanagement of family planning stocks. A bottleneck in the supply chain is formed at the warehouse level due to lack of visibility into stock availability, storage space being taken up by expired or damaged commodities, delays in processing orders etcetera. To mitigate these challenges, PATH developed a simple yet highly effective solution, termed dejunking, which would provide warehouse personnel with step-by-step instructions and guidelines for stock organisation, optimal space utilisation and warehouse management.
    8. Graphic novel : The power of teamwork 12.9 MB PDF

      Family planning stock availability at the warehouses is critical for smooth downstream deliveries but there is persistent shortage of appropriate storage space for large orders. Our intervention of strategic delivery through FP supply chain integration with essential drug list (EDL) supply chain helped optimize resources enabling more efficient placement of smaller indents.

  2. English

    1. Animation film: India post as a partner in supply chain

      PATH has facilitated partnership of India Post in the state of Odisha as an additional/supplement distribution system for transportation of family planning commodities to government health facilities.
    2. Animation film: Informed push model to improve availability of contraceptives

      PATH has been supporting state governments in India to improve availability of contraceptives at government health facilities. To enable this, we implemented innovative solutions that drastically improved stock availability. Learn about one such intervention called informed push model.
    3. Animation film: ASHA kits for last mile delivery of contraceptives

      Equipping frontline health workers with the tools to provide a full range of contraceptives, at regular intervals, is key to promoting use of contraceptives of choice, and regular uptake. Learn more about ASHA kits that ensure last mile delivery of contraceptives.