Zimbabwe delivers the goods on contraception
21 November 2008
Mother-of-two Mrs Madzimure
(left) takes family planning seriously. This means
she regularly visits her local health centre in rural Zimbabwe to collect
contraceptives. Until recently, however, she could never be sure that supplies
would be available.
Throughout the country, the story was the same. The demand for contraceptives existed, and there was no shortage of the products themselves, but what was lacking was an efficient distribution system for getting the products to the people who wanted them.
In 2006, a DFID-funded initiative was launched to address the problem. During its lifetime, the Delivery Team Topping Up (DTTU) service has made great progress in strengthening links between the warehouses where the contraceptive supplies are stored and the health centres where they are distributed. Thanks to its work, more people in hard-to-reach parts of Zimbabwe are now accessing the products that could radically improve - or even save - their lives.
Meeting demand
"Before DTTU, we had serious shortages of condoms and contraceptives,"
explains Shoulder Matirori, a nurse at Madziva rural health centre. "With no
reliable supply, uptake of contraceptives was low."
But over the last few years, Shoulder has noticed some major changes. By increasing the number of deliveries from the warehouses, DTTU has ensured that there are always contraceptives available to those who need them.
Last year, the initiative was expanded to include the distribution of HIV testing kits and the drug Nevirapine, which helps to prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant mothers to their children.
With these products now in easy reach, more people are able to take charge of family planning and of their reproductive health.
"I am happy to say that the uptake of services, especially of contraceptives such as female condoms, has significantly improved," says Shoulder. "And due to the availability of rapid test kits and Nevirapine, HIV prevention and care has also got better."
Cost-effective care
The efficiency of the DTTU system has played an important part in the increase in contraceptive use that Zimbabwe has seen over recent years. Despite the economic troubles that have afflicted the country over this time, more and more women of childbearing age have made use of reproductive health products. In fact, Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of contraceptive use in the whole of Africa (62% of women of childbearing age).
Mrs Madzimure is one of those to have benefited from improved access to these cost-effective lifesavers. "Life is hard, here in Zimbabwe," she says, "yet I have to provide for my family. I want to look after my two children. To do this, I need to plan my family, and the contraceptives help me to do this. Now I know I can always find my monthly supply when I visit the health centre."
Facts and stats
- DTTU was set up in 2003.
- DFID's five-year project with DTTU started in March 2006 and will end in 2011. Around £2.7 million of funding will be provided for each year of the project.
- DTTU is run by DFID’s procurement and management agent, Crown Agents, along with USAID and the Zimbabwe Family Planning Council.
- DTTU delivers contraceptives to 1,441 health facilities in Zimbabwe.
- Over the last two years, rates of HIV in Zimbabwe have fallen from 20.1% to 15.6%.
Links
- How we fight poverty: Killer diseases
- Achieving Universal Access - Read more about DFID's AIDS strategy
