News and Updates from DKT International

Dear Friend of DKT,

We are pleased to share our July newsletter, highlighting just a few of the many activities and efforts undertaken by DKT teams around the world this month.  

We are especially proud that DKT Afghanistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health to train midwives and strengthen the supply chain within existing midwife networks. Our program there is already selling condoms, IUDS, oral, injectables, and emergency contraceptives as well as implants and MVA – and we know there is much more we can do.

In Myanmar, DKT launched a groundbreaking (and very sexy) new ad campaign for its Fiesta brands that puts women’s pleasure first. Details of the campaign, along with all three ads (a sneak peek) are available on our blog.

DKT also made some notable sales in Zambia this month, adding to an impressive and expanding portfolio on the continent, managed via our East Africa office encompassing Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan (and now, Zambia). 

Finally, please be sure to mark your calendars: DKT and the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) will co-host a webinar on July 25th @ 9 a.m. EST to discuss data and health impact in the sexual and reproductive health field. The event will also serve as an official passing of the baton for the Contraceptive Social Marketing Statistics (CSM) report to RHSC and SEMA, which DKT has spearheaded for the past 30 years. We are looking forward both to the webinar and all the great things our partners will do with the report moving forward.

A link to sign up can be found here.

As always, thank you for your continued support. 

Cheers,

Christopher Purdy

DKT Afghanistan signs MOU to train midwives, strengthen existing supply chain networks

The challenge of operating in Afghanistan remains significant, but DKT is committed to keeping quality reproductive health products on the shelves and ensuring midwives continue to work in their communities, receiving the training necessary to provide care to their patients. This month, DKT Afghanistan, with support from DKT Pakistan, signed an MOU that will strengthen the supply chain, provide at least 300 midwives with the training they need, and potentially, open the door for more private clinics to be established in the future.

Country Director of DKT Afghanistan/Pakistan, George Papachristou along with Director of Business Development, Mr. Fawad Ahmed Jokhio met with government representatives Mohammad Ishaq Sahebzada, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration of the Ministry of Public Health, and Dr. Nafeesa Sahak Director of Family Planning Directorate, Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan. 

The agreement creates a pathway to build the capacity of 300 Private Sector Community Midwives (CMWs) over three years, scaling up post-pregnancy family planning services, promoting Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC), and preventing maternal mortality. DKT Afghanistan will also build a supply chain model for the midwife network with access to contraceptive products – activating existing professional networks to expand DKT’s reach and impact.

Thus far in 2023, DKT has already fulfilled orders in Afghanistan for an estimated 2 million condoms; 60,000 IUDs; 60,000 injectables; 60,000 oral contraceptives (OCs) pills; 30,000 emergency contraceptives (ECs), and 1,000 MVA kits.

The partnership is a crucial step towards empowering women, improving reproductive healthcare, and creating a better future for communities in Afghanistan.

A woman initiating sex in a condom ad is not considered groundbreaking advertising in most parts of the world, but in Myanmar, it’s bold new territory — and the three-part ad campaign DKT Myanmar released this month on social media is no ordinary campaign. In its first five days, the sexy ads for Fiesta condoms generated 2 million impressions on social media. Check out our latest blog post to learn how DKT Myanmar is both bringing the sexy back to Myanmar and tackling stigma.