Family planning advocates can help ensure that a country’s policies and funding promote access to DMPA-SC and self-injection along with other contraceptive options so women can make an informed and voluntary choice.
Decision-makers need to advance relevant approvals and policies to introduce or scale up DMPA-SC and self-injection, alongside integration in guidelines, training materials, logistics management systems, and health monitoring and information systems. Advocacy tools and approaches are available here to guide development of an advocacy strategy and action plan that speaks to your country context. Materials are also available to create compelling and accurate messaging and public outreach.
Subcutaneous DMPA (DMPA-SC) is an innovative and easy-to-use injectable that is transforming contraceptive access, use, and choice for women and adolescent girls. Advocates have an important role to play in making sure their country’s policies and funding support access to a broad method mix, including new options like DMPA-SC.
The Advocacy Pack for Subcutaneous DMPA is designed to accelerate your advocacy efforts. It consists of evidence-based materials, in English and French, for advocates to use both for their own strategy development and for direct advocacy with decision-makers. Materials are customizable and unbranded so that you can tailor them to your country context.
This toolkit contains resources designed to help pharmacy associations become effective advocates and begin working to change policies in their countries. The toolkit can be adapted to advocate for any injectable contraceptive. The toolkit includes a Resource for Considering DMPA-SC.
Institutional author(s): SHOPS Plus, USAID
Publication date: May, 2019
This policy landscape can be leveraged by applicants interested in applying to the DMPA-SC Regulatory Advocacy Catalytic Opportunity Fund (COF). The landscape was originally developed in 2020 to understand policies and regulations, including over-the-counter regulations, that impact women’s access to DMPA-SC and identify short- and long-term advocacy opportunities. In 2022, it was refreshed to understand policy shifts and additional advocacy opportunities in a subset of 12 of the original 18 countries currently eligible for the Regulatory Advocacy COF. Insights from the policy landscape have informed the design and eligibility criteria of the Regulatory Advocacy COF, proactively identified opportunities, and provided frameworks and guidance for interested applicants.
This brief packages accurate, evidence-based messages about the features and benefits of DMPA-SC and how the product can increase women’s access to contraception.
This customizable slide deck provides a brief description of DMPA-SC and its benefits; an overview of evidence on how the product expands access through multiple delivery channels; and illustrative policy and advocacy gaps and recommendations for country decision-makers.
A customizable document that provides a brief description of DMPA-SC; an overview of evidence on how the product expands access through multiple delivery channels; and policy and advocacy recommendations for country decision-makers tied to the country’s stage of access.
Describes key evidence-building efforts, advocacy actions, and policy changes in Uganda brought about by key partners to increase access to injectable contraception, including DMPA-SC. You can draw on lessons learned from Uganda to inform your policy goals and advocacy strategy for increasing method choice and access with DMPA-SC in your country.