Dear Friend of DKT,
In the world of reproductive health, many of us talk about “shaping markets” and “market dynamics.” But what do these ideas look like in practice? In DKT’s October newsletter, we are pleased to share how DKT’s efforts contribute to the broad strategic idea that markets can be guided and nudged to help couples better access and avail of high-quality, affordable products.
This month, we see this happening in the following concrete ways:
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DKT WomanCare’s new partnership with Incepta Pharmaceuticals to bring a high-quality 3-month injectable into 40 new markets.
- Intelligence gathering and sharing. The soon to be released 2019 Contraceptive Social Marketing Statistics provides a range of information from a myriad of service providers on what kinds of products are being sold in which countries.
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Launch of a crowd-sourcing forum where women can support other women with answers to common questions and concerns.
- Helping health providers in the private and public sector navigate the challenges of COVID-19 in order to keep lights on, doors open, and health services flowing.
Read on to learn what’s keeping DKT busy.
Thank you for your interest in and support of DKT.
Chris Purdy
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DKT WomanCare announces partnership with Incepta Pharmaceuticals to launch new injectable contraception |
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DKT WomanCare and Incepta Pharmaceuticals will launch a new 3-month injectable, Medogen, (prequalified by the World Health Organization) in 40 countries around the world. DKT and Incepta plan to launch Medogen in waves, starting with outlets in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, DRC, and Madagascar—some of the largest injectable markets in the world. This partnership will expand women’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) options, enabling greater choice and supporting increased quality.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains everywhere,” said Jacques-Antoine Martin, Managing Director of DKT WomanCare. “Registering Medogen in these countries will reduce waiting times for shipments and guard against stock-outs at pharmacies and clinics.” Medogen is a depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM) injectable that provides pregnancy protection for three months.
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Sneak Peek: Contraceptive Social Marketing Statistics for 2019 |
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DKT will soon release the 2019 Contraceptive Social Marketing (CSM) report that provides statistics from 123 programs in over 70 different countries. Collectively, the CSM programs provided some 95 million couple years of protection (CYPs) globally. We hope that providing this information will assist the reproductive health community, governments, and other partners in understanding the role of social marketing in market dynamics, including both where needs are being met and where gaps may continue to exist.
In 2019, these programs sold some:
- 1.7 billion condoms
- 5.1 million IUDs
- 21.8 million doses of emergency contraception
- 42.5 million injectable contraception vials
In addition to supplying SRH products and creating demand for them, social marketing also prioritizes training providers so they are knowledgeable and equipped to offer a broad range of services and care.
For more details, look out for our upcoming newsletter blast.
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The full 2019 CSM report is coming soon! |
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WomenFirst Digital launches crowd-sourced forum so women can help women |
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When women need information about sexual health, they often turn to the Internet and can be confused by myths and misconception. It’s difficult to know who to trust. For that reason, DKT’s partner, WomenFirst Digital (WFD), has unveiled a new forum to bring women together and create a supportive space for discussing family planning. Questions are categorized by country so that users in Nigeria, for example, can learn about which clinics in Lagos are youth-friendly. Or users in Mexico can converse in Spanish about side effects of various methods. The forum is hosted under the FindMyMethod website, which provides accurate information on contraceptive methods and answers to common question.
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Shaping the market by building health provider capacity |
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DKT Ghana delivers PPE to Lydia partner clinics to ensure providers stay safe during the pandemic.
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When COVID-19 struck, DKT operations around the world were impacted. However, DKT acted quickly and doubled down on efforts to help providers get back to work in both the public and private sector. For example, DKT Ghana teamed up with local tailors to produce 9,000 facemasks for Kiss condoms, which not only helped to reduce COVID-19 transmission but also provided work for small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. The team in Ghana also delivered personal protective equipment (PPE), such as alcohol-based hand sanitizers and facemasks, to each Lydia Partner Clinic to keep providers and their clients safe while they kept providing care.
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DKT Indonesia also responded swiftly to COVID-19 by implementing a variety of strategies to ensure SRH needs would continue to be met and providers could keep providing care. DKT hosted a webinar together with BKKBN (Indonesia’s National Population and Family Planning Board) and UNFPA to reach more than 17,000 midwives from both the public and private sectors with information about providing family planning services during the time of COVID-19. In addition, DKT created WhatsApp groups to reach health providers, provided free consultations and referrals through DKT’s toll-free call center, Halo DKT, and donated contraceptives to regions across the country to ameliorate stockouts. These efforts have been successful and widespread.
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Above: Halo DKT’s homepage, where patients can receive confidential and free consultations with midwives and doctors. |
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Short Film launch sparks important conversations around sexual health in DR Congo |
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DKT DR Congo released a short film, “Aprѐs Coup,” about young people’s experiences coping with unintended pregnancies. The film’s launch included a live Q&A session with DKT managers to talk about contraception and abortion, specifically around the legality of safe abortion care and the risks of unsafe abortion methods. Parents called in and asked about educating their children around sexuality and sex. The program highlighted the importance of talking about sex, contraception, and abortion in an honest and judgement-free way. Given the positive feedback of the film, there are plans to screen “Aprѐs Coup” in universities once schools reopen in the coming months.
The film is listed privately on Vimeo, but you can watch it using the password migales2.
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“Aprѐs Coup” tells the story of a young woman who contemplates her future when she decides to become sexually active.
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Stay up-to-date with all of DKT International's work by following us on LinkedIn. Learn more about how our teams across the world are launching new products, training providers, and providing critical SRH services.
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Join others in donating to DKT International to make positive change. In 2019, DKT’s generated 47.8 million CYPs, making DKT one of the largest providers of contraceptives and safe abortion products, services and technology in the world. Donations to DKT are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. You can donate by clicking the button below, or by sending a check to:
President
1001 Connecticut Ave, NW
Suite 800
Washington, D.C.
20036
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