This healthy markets framework assessment highlights market opportunities for intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) injectables and makes several recommendations on how to sustain and expand access.

The three primary takeaways from the assessment are:

1. The lack of funding for procurement remains the main barrier to meeting global demand for injectables. This is also limiting demand across SRH products in general.
2. IM injectables still dominate the injectables market. Shipments of SC injectables have been relatively modest over the last few years, with evidence of challenges to fulfill country orders. An increase is projected in the demand for SC injectables over time with secure, diversified supply, particularly if the price premium of SC versus that of IM injectables is reduced. The arrival of a generic SC injectable could make a significant difference when it comes to pricing, however uncertainties remain as to whether SC injectables will be able to fully realize their potential.
3. Structural problems such as the lack of provider capacity and supportive policies to enable access are hindering the growth of the market for SC injectables and require special attention.

The Access Collaborative provides data-driven technical assistance (TA), coordination, resources, and tools to ensure that women and girls have increased access to DMPA-SC and self-injection as part of an expanded range of contraceptive methods, delivered through informed choice programming.

In addition to general information and evidence on DMPA-SC, partners can access the support outlined in the menu below by submitting a request through the technical assistance request form, also linked below. Your request can be submitted by emailing the completed form to FPoptions@path.org.

On March 21, 2023, the DMPA-SC Access Collaborative hosted this webinar highlighting the strengths and gaps of monitoring scale-up in the context of efforts to institutionalize DMPA-SC and self-injection in national family planning programs. The discussion focused on findings from Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, touching upon national goals for DMPA-SC, in-country perspectives on the value proposition of DMPA-SC, and suggested indicators for use in tracking the scale-up of a new product.

This webinar held on February 23, 2022 was hosted by Expanding Effective Contraceptive Options (EECO) led by WCG Cares with PSI and the DMPA-SC Access Collaborative led by PATH in partnership with JSI. The discussion focused on the introduction and scale up of self-care family planning methods in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting lessons and best practices from DMPA-SC scale-up and Caya® diaphragm pilot introductions in French-speaking West Africa. Presenters from Benin, Niger, and Senegal shared successes and challenges. This webinar was offered in French.

The private sector holds great potential to reduce unmet need for family planning, and many countries are poised to adopt a total market approach for increasing contraceptive access through private pharmacies and drug shops. Policies supporting scale-up of family planning service provision and expanding method options such as DMPA-SC self-injection, must be prioritized in these entities.

The PATH-JSI DMPA-SC Access Collaborative and partners have gained valuable insights with relevance to private sector engagement on self-injection. This webinar held February 15, 2022 highlighted lessons learnt, challenges, recommendations, and considerations for policies supporting private sector engagement in self-injection in different country contexts. Specific topics included:

• Financing and commodity production ecosystems
• Procurement and supply chains
• Service delivery and programming
• Data reporting and monitoring
• Advocacy
• Demand generation

The discussion was moderated by Allen Namagembe, Deputy Project Director, Uganda DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH.

Panelists:

• Dr. Kayode Afolabi, Director and Head, Reproductive Health Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria
• Dr. Daniella Munene, Member, National Executive Committee, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya
• Dr. Hortense Randrianaivo, President, Association of Pharmacists of Madagascar
• Mr. Célestin Compaore, Regional Project Director, DMPA-SC, Jhpiego, Burkina Faso

The DMPA-SC Access Collaborative has published a collection of briefs on countries where we have provided focused technical assistance between 2017 and 2021. This includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia. Each brief describes the country’s introduction and scale-up experiences for DMPA-SC and self-injection, including accomplishments, challenges, innovations, key lessons, factors for success, and plans for the way forward.

Costed implementation plans play an important role in transforming family planning commitments into concrete programs and policies by informing budget creation and management as well as funding allocations and tracking. As part of introduction and scale-up planning across countries, the DMPA-SC Access Collaborative has worked with ministries of health and partners to create costed implementation plans for DMPA-SC specifically and map commitments or available budgets against costed plans to understand funding gaps. This brief describes the Access Collaborative’s costed implementation plan approach as well as costing tools available to enable countries to estimate their own plan’s requirements and potential funding gaps. For more information or assistance, please visit the Access Collaborative technical assistance page or contact FPoptions@path.org.

Over the past two years, a number of implementing partners have leveraged the Catalytic Opportunity Fund (COF) to support the scale-up of DMPA-SC in focal countries. The COF is a rapid funding mechanism administered by Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and managed by the DMPA-SC Operations Group, a group that responds to operational and service delivery issues in DMPA-SC and self-injection introduction and scale-up. The fund aims to support short-term DMPA-SC scale-up activities that unlock or generate additional resources. COF grantees carry out a diverse range of activities with short-term, small grants that make significant contributions to the national introduction and scale-up of DMPA-SC in their countries.

During this DMPA-SC Learning and Action Network (LAN) knowledge-sharing webinar held on May 19, 2021, successful COF grantees representing the Society for Family Health, Pathfinder International, Marie Stopes, and Jhpiego shared about the fund’s impact on their work and key lessons learned. The virtual discussion encouraged all stakeholders—program implementers, researchers, government officials, health providers, and members of civil society—to consider applicable strategies and mechanisms for efficient, sustainable, and scalable product introduction.

For more information, please contact the Access Collaborative LAN at dmpa-sc-lan@path.org or the CHAI COF at COF@clintonhealthaccess.org.

The DMPA-SC Access Collaborative hosted this April 21, 2021 webinar highlighting lessons learned to date through four years of data-driven technical assistance and coordination to ensure that women have increased access to self-injection as a contraceptive option, delivered through informed choice programming. The discussion focused on key topics for the introduction and scale-up of self-injection—and self-care interventions more broadly—at the country level including:

• Policy and advocacy for new product introduction.
• How to coordinate scale-up of a new product.
• Using data to inform program introduction and scale-up.
• Effective innovations and adaptations in provider training.

This discussion was moderated by Monica Mutesa, Zambia Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH. Speakers included:

• Caitlin Corneliess, Project Director, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH
• Adewole Adefalu, Nigeria Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, JSI
• Allen Namagembe, Uganda Deputy Director, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH
• Avotiana Rakotomanga, Madagascar Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, JSI
• Alain Kabore, Regional Technical Advisor, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH

For more information, please contact FPoptions@path.org.

The Family Planning Financing Roadmap is a resource for USAID Mission staff and others working on family planning issues in developing countries. The website is designed to support sustainable family planning approaches for a wide range of users, from those who have very limited knowledge of health financing concepts to those who have some knowledge or experience and are looking to develop a deeper understanding of specific issues. The website has three main sections: learning materials, an interactive roadmap, and a community of practice.