Mainstreaming Private Health Sector Contributions

• Support governments to steward and mobilize private sector resources for family planning: In Tanzania, Abt collaborated with public and private stakeholders to implement an evidence-based total market approach to strengthen contraceptive security. We used qualitative and quantitative insights—including sales data from private distributors—to help governments and donors re-target subsidies and better inform government procurement. With Abt, Tanzania’s health ministry also developed and rolled out new strategic planning tools for local governments to better engage private providers and an improved policy framework to strengthen contraceptive security through diversified, increased access to services and supplies. Private suppliers also introduced new sustainably priced private family planning products and commercial suppliers more than doubled their annual sales.
• Sustain access to family planning in conflict and insecure settings. Abt has led the US government’s private sector health investments in Afghanistan for several years, all of which focused on maternal and child health and family planning. Afghanistan’s private health sector is now the main artery for health support to the Afghan people. Abt partnered with and helped grow the Afghan Social Marketing Organization (ASMO), a trusted non-governmental organization and major supplier of modern contraceptives. ASMO’s multimedia social behavior change initiatives reached 15 million people through social media and community mobilization. Today, ASMO supports a significant percent of family planning access in the country.
• Identify tailored, proven strategies to grow and strengthen family planning markets What works to improve contraceptive access, choice, and sustainability? In a review of six countries’ demographic and health data related to modern contraceptive prevalence rates, Abt researchers examined how private sector actors contribute to growth in family planning use, and identified factors and strategies for countries to replicate at various stages of market maturity.
• Leverage trust and tech to drive demand for family planning information and services. Talking about sexual and reproductive health is taboo in India, and myths and misinformation are common among youth. Abt partnered with an Indian vendor to create Hello Jubi, a chatbot for youth to privately ask questions and learn about safe family planning practices through interactive questions, illustrations, and guided conversations. This gamified, conversational app, powered by natural language processing, is providing credible, accurate sexual health information for India’s digitally savvy youth. Used in seven states, it now targets 2 million adolescents through their schools’ sex education curriculum. Its users are 70% male and they spend twice as long on the app compared to market data from similar products—revealing the gaps in sexual health information among male youth.

Read more about Abt’s work and lessons from private sector engagement in the health system in the SHOPS Plus project final report.