West Africa Reproductive Health Commodity Security Initiative

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West Africa Reproductive Health Commodity
Security Initiative
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Background

• Discussion of reproductive health commodity
  security (RHCS) at USAIDs West African Regional
  Health Program (WARP) planning meeting (late
  2002)
• Joint concept paper on West Africa RHCS
  Initiative (UNFPA, USAID, WAHO, WB)
• WAHO requests DELIVER to make 2 presentations at
  ECOWAS Health Ministers meeting (July 2003) to
  health experts and to the Health Ministers

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RHCS Presentations

• Described the link between WAHOs maternal health
  strategy and RHCS
• low CPR, high unmet need
• high maternal and infant mortality
• contraceptive users more than double by 2010
• Described the current state of RHCS in the
  subregion
• Discussed subregional options for strengthening
  RHCS

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RHCS Presentations

• Generated significant discussion
• No questioning of the importance of family
  planning services or RHCS in the subregion
• Health experts recommended the RHCS initiative to
  the Ministers
• Ministers of Health adopted the initiative in
  principle
• Supported studying the different options for
  securing commodities in the subregion

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West Africa RHCS Study

• Jointly implemented by WAHO, USAID/DELIVER and
  AWARE, UNFPA and the World Bank
• Three phases
• desk review with 2 country assessments
• in-depth country assessments
• strategy development

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Study Goal and Objectives

• Assess subregional-level opportunities to improve
  RHCS in West Africa
• determine cost/benefit of options
• assess the feasibility of implementation
• appropriately adapt models, lessons learned
• clarify roles for and commitment of ECOWAS/WAHO,
  member governments, and donors
• inform development of an ECOWAS RHCS strategy and
  implementation plan

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Technical Areas

• Pooled/coordinated procurement
• Subregional financing
• Private sector expansion
• Local manufacturing (requested by Ministers)
• Logistics improvements

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Study Status and Next Steps

• Desk review underway, as are country assessments
  in Burkina Faso and Ghana
• Results will be presented to the ECOWAS Ministers
  of Health in July 2004
• Donors meeting proposed to follow Ministers
  meeting
• Phase 2, in-depth country assessments, planned
  for July - November 2004
• Phase 3, strategy development, planned for
  November 2004 - February 2005

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Questions for the Partnership

• Should West Africa be a priority subregion for
  the Partnership?
• How can we expand donor engagement with RHCS in
  West Africa?
• What role(s) can the Partnership play in the
  study and in building on its findings and
  recommendations?