Ministry of Health
National Council for Population
and Family
Contraceptive Security Committee Family
Planning Program
Norms of the National Contraceptive Security Committee
2
Introduction
One of the functions of the government is the understanding of population dynamics in order
to increase the quality of life of all citizens through public health services. Population
dynamics affects every individual, his family, and society, in general. For example, family
planning is part of sexual and reproductive health, and it relates directly maternal, perinatal,
and infant mortality, as well as to sexually transmitted infections; specifically, acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The Contraceptive Security Committee (CS) aims to enable and ensure universal access to a
comprehensive package of family planning services for all segments of the population.
Purpose
The purpose of these norms is to provide the organization and operation of the National
Contraceptive Security Committee, and it shall be referred to as CS Committee Norms.
Legal Base
The legal support of these norms is the Constitution of the Republic and other laws that are
intended to rule the National health sector.
The General Health Law No. 42-01, dated March 8, 2001, states in Article 1 that its objective
is to regulate all actions that allow the government to guarantee the right to health for all,
which is recognized in the Constitution of the National.
Decree number xx dated February 14, 1968, creates the National Council for Population and
Family (NCFPF), which is responsible for research, planning, coordination and promotion
of population, and development characteristics in order to improve the lives of women and
their families. NCFPF constitutes the highest authority on population and family planning
policies.
Scope
The Contraceptive Security (CS) Committee is subject to the family planning program in the
country, which is under the Directorate for Maternal, Child, and Adolescents of the Ministry
of Health in National. The CS committee will be part of the National structural health
establishment, conducting their activities in the General Health Services, which apply
throughout the National level.
1
General Provisions
Chapter I
Nature of the Contraceptive Security Committee
Article 1.The CS Committee is the ad hoc advisory entity of the country that assists in the
process of ensuring the availability of contraceptives for the Dominican people, to meet the
demand for contraceptives, for the purpose of promoting and ensuring family planning
services, which are one of the public health interventions that prevent and control maternal
and child mortality and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. This will be
achieved through:
a. Providing information to government agencies and other groups regarding present and
future contraceptive needs, considering the population’s demand patterns and preferred
methods, as well as changes in contraceptive demand as a result of population growth
and behavior changes. It will also provide information about contraceptive procurement
mechanisms currently used in the country, including suppliers, costs, quality, and
innovation in the logistics management systems.
b. Providing advice to the government and other entities to prepare annual forecasts of
contraceptives and condoms for the population served, as well as annual cost estimates
at the institutional and national levels. It will also help formulate national policies and
strategies that contribute to contraceptive availability in the short-, medium-, and longterm.
c. Supporting the government during the budget cycle to secure funds for contraceptives
procurement. This will be made through advocacy and consensus-building about the
health outcomes achieved by investing in family planning.
Article 2. Creation of the CS Committee: On a provisional basis, the CS committee was
created by a ministerial resolution issued by the Ministry of Health, and will be established
by presidential decree.
2
Chapter II
The CS Committee
Article 3 Members. The CS Committee will be integrated as follows:
-Directorsa.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
A representative of the National Council for Population and Family
A representative of the Deputy Minister of Public Health
A representative of the Directorate for Maternal, Child, and Adolescent
A representative of the National Program for the Prevention and Control of
STI/HIV/AIDS
A representative of the National Association of Family Welfare
A representative of the National Family Planning Association
A representative of the Commissioner for Health Reform
A representative of the Essential Medicines Program
A representative of the National Pharmaceutical Association
A representative of the National Health Institute
A representative of the National Association of Private Clinics
A representative of the National Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
A representative of the National Comprehensive Health Programs for Adolescents
A representative of the National Nursing Association
The CS Committee will invite representatives from other sectors to join the CS Committee as
counseling members, who will participate according to their availability and interests.
a. A representative from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
b. A representative from the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID)
c. Other relevant representatives
The CS Committee may invite other civil society and public-, private, and commercial-sector
representatives, as well as the international community, to contribute to the achievement of
its objectives.
Accreditation
Article 4. Designation. Each member institution of the CS Committee will designate a
representative, in writing. In case of absence or temporary disability, an alternate
representative shall be designated in the same way.
Article 5. Substitution. If an active member ceases his or her working relationship with the
institution that she/he represents, she/he shall appoint a successor within five working days.
Address and Meeting Venue
Article 6. Address: The Ministry of Health Address (Insert address) Meeting Venue: The
Sub-Secretariat of Ministry of Health and NCFPF shall select the venue for CS Committee
meetings.
3
Chapter III
Duties and Obligations Of CS Committee Members
Article 7. Organization of the CS Committee. The organizational structure will comprise
all public and private institutions and nongovernmental organizations working on family
planning/reproductive health.
This CS Committee will be led by the Sub-Secretariat of Ministry of Health or its
representative and/or the Executive Director of the National Council for Population and
Family.
The CS Committee will be divided into the following sub-committees that depict the basic
elements of contraceptive security:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Coordination and Leadership
Logistics Management
Strategy and Policy
Finance and Procurement of Contraceptives
Article 8. Responsibilities. The CS Committee members, through their representatives, will
have the following responsibilities:
a. Comply with the responsibilities and work activities described in the Annual Work
Plan.
b. Attend ordinary and extraordinary meetings, and participate in technical and policy
discussions to achieve CS in the country.
c. Participate in activities and the work planning conducted by the CS Committee.
d. Keep informed and report back to her/his respective supervisors at each institution
regarding CS Committee priorities, decisions, and activities.
Article 9. Functions. This Committee shall have the following functions:
a. Develop a five-year strategy and prepare the corresponding annual work plan. The
plans will be prepared during the last quarter of the prior year. The work plan must
be approved by half the members plus one of the CS Committee members and will
include the activities to be conducted to help achieve CS in the country.
b. Produce and/or systematize existing information on current and future contraceptive
needs, procurement mechanisms, quality and variety of products, suppliers and
costs, as well as innovations in logistics management systems. These tasks serve as
basic input for the support provided to the government and other entities.
c. Produce and/or systematize existing information on policies, strategies, and national
and institutional programs that contribute to contraceptive security in the short-,
medium- and long-term. These tasks are part of the technical assistance to the
government and other agencies that may require it.
d. Establish partnerships with the government and other entities to advance
contraceptive security, as well as to provide ad hoc advice to develop strategies,
policies, and activities that contribute to the availability of contraceptives for all
segments of the population.
e. Support government authorities and decision makers using advocacy tools and
policy dialogue to build consensus on the course of action conducted by the
government and other institutions. Decisions will be made through consensus
4
building to secure funds for contraceptive procurements, the review and update of
essential drugs lists (hormonal contraceptives), as well as medical and surgical
supplies (intrauterine devices, female and male condoms), and also the national and
institutional policies and regulations related to contraceptive procurement.
f. Support the government and other agencies to strengthen information, education,
and communication activities that will improve healthier behaviors amongst the
different segments of the population, and increase their knowledge about the health
benefits of accessing and using family planning services.
g. Prepare quarterly reports of the committee activities and distribute them among
government and other agencies.
h. The committee will identify innovative and effective ways to disseminate
information and achievements of CS in-country, both within the government
(executive and legislative branches), civil society, and the private sector.
Article 10. Functions and Responsibilities of the Chairperson: The steering role will be
the responsibility of the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Health or the Deputy Director of
NCFPF.
The functions and responsibilities of the chairperson are the following:
a. Coordinate and represent the CS Committee.
b. Be the official spokesperson for the CS Committee.
c. Convene the CS committee members to the ordinary and extraordinary meetings,
according to frequency of meetings stipulated herein.
d. Facilitate and lead the meetings.
e. Sign the documents related to the topics that the CS Committee coordinates.
f. Assign the responsibility and location of the CS Committee files to one of the
member organizations.
g. Comply with and reinforce all the norms described herein.
h. Propose the person who will be responsible for the secretarial matters and define
her/his functions and responsibilities.
i. Propose the members who will make up each sub-committee, voting will be
legitimate when half plus one of the members are present.
j. Lead the development of annual and extraordinary reports to be submitted to the
Ministry of Health.
k. Establish collaborative partnerships with the Government and other related entities
to advance contraceptive security in a holistic way and to make sure all segments of
the population receive family planning services and commodities.
l. Promote information sharing with other CS committees around the LAC region and
other regions, to learn best practices to sustain effective logistics management
systems.
m. Negotiate with national and international institutions the technical assistance
needed to perform the duties intrinsic to the work of the CS Committee.
5
Article 11. Functions of the Sub-Committee of Logistics Management.
a. Appoint a coordinator, secretary, and rapporteur of the Sub-Committee.
b. Send meeting notices to the members of the Sub-Committee for ordinary and
extraordinary meetings.
c. Prepare the agenda for the Sub-Committee meetings.
d. Record the minutes of meetings containing discussions and commitments agreed
upon.
e. Submit copy of the minutes of each ordinary and/or extraordinary meeting to the
member institutions of the Sub-Committee within seven days after the meeting.
f. Send for filing all ordinary and extraordinary records of meetings and technical
documents of the Sub-Committee to the institution responsible for keeping the CS
Committee files.
g. Coordinate the proposals and activities as determined by the Sub- Committee.
h. Gather information on contraceptive consumption at the national level to use as
input for preparing needs estimates, projections, and consumption trend analysis.
i. Analyze jointly with all member organizations the estimates and projections of all
contraceptive needs at the national level. This will include forecasts by
organization, public and private, and by method; and will serve to assess present
and future product availability in order to take informed and effective decisions to
secure contraceptive availability.
j. Advise the Government and other entities to strengthen logistics and service
delivery information systems so that the institutions are able to generate reliable,
timely, and quality information. This will enhance the quality of contraceptive
security indicators and will help monitor supply and demand indicators such as
stock availability and unmet need.
k. Support the Finance and Procurement Sub-Committee to estimate financial
resources that will respond to national demand for contraceptives and for all
segments of the population.
l. Advise the Government and other agencies to define quality standards of each
contraceptive method in order to secure quality of products, regardless of the
procurement mechanism being utilized.
m. Share and/or disseminate the information on successful experiences in other
countries that may be useful for providers of family planning services.
n. Monitor and request information from other public or private institutions (NGOs)
regarding their contraceptive procurement and availability for distribution in the
country.
o. Supervise and monitor the logistics warehousing systems of the service providers
and suggest techniques to preserve the shelf life of the commodities.
Article 12. Functions of the Sub-Committee Strategy and Policy.
a. Appoint a coordinator, secretary, and rapporteur of the Sub-Committee.
b. Send meeting notices to the members of the Sub-Committee for ordinary and
extraordinary meetings.
c. Prepare the agenda for the Sub-Committee meetings.
d. Write the minutes of meetings containing discussions and commitments agreed
upon within the Sub-Committee.
6
e. Submit copy of the minutes of each ordinary and/or extraordinary meeting to the
member institutions of the Sub-Committee within seven days after the meeting.
f. Send for filing all ordinary and extraordinary records of meetings and technical
documents of the Sub-Committee to the institution responsible for keeping the CS
Committee files.
g. Coordinate the proposals and activities as determined by the Sub- Committee.
h. Advise on the formulation, evaluation, and monitoring of public policies related to
securing contraceptive commodities, including those that might negatively impact
contraceptive security in the short-, medium- and long-term.
i. Advise government agencies and other institutions to coordinate and involve other
government institutions beyond the health sector, as well as the private sector to
address CS with a national approach and the participation of all public and private
sectors.
j. Advise on the research needs in areas relevant to the formulation and evaluation of
policies and programs that contribute to contraceptive security. For example, family
planning market analysis, medical barriers, payment capacity, clients’ willingness
to pay, discontinuation of methods, unmet demand, health decentralization, and
financing, among others.
k. Help strengthen the capacity of public and private institutions in the use of data for
decision making regarding priorities to advance contraceptive security.
l. Contribute to the elimination of barriers in the production, marketing, and
distribution of contraceptives in the country, in accordance with local regulations
and the global context.
Article 13. Functions of Finance and Procurement Sub- Committee.
a. Appoint a coordinator, secretary, and rapporteur of the Sub-Committee.
b. Send meeting notices to the members of the Sub-Committee for ordinary and
extraordinary meetings.
c. Prepare the agendas for the meetings.
d. Record the minutes of the meetings containing discussions and commitments
agreed upon within the Sub-Committee.
e. Submit a copy of the minutes of each ordinary and/or extraordinary meeting to the
member institutions of the CS Committee within seven days of the meeting.
f. Send for filing all ordinary and extraordinary records of meetings and technical
documents of the Sub-Committee to the institution responsible for keeping the CS
Committee files.
g. Coordinate the proposals and activities as determined by the CS Committee.
h. Advise the government and other agencies to develop cost projections to meet the
demand for contraceptives and condoms for the prevention of STI/HIV/AIDS;
define strategies that ensure the financial resources for the procurement of
contraceptives; quantify the costs to guarantee quality, affordable and free
commodities; and services to the different segments of the population, under the
subsidized scheme, including the affiliates of social security.
i. Monitor the allocation, efficiency, and effectiveness in the use of financial
resources for procuring, distributing, and delivering contraceptives to the last mile.
j. The procurement of contraceptive commodities will be implemented according to
the provisions of the Procurement and Finance Sub Committee, comprised of
7
representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Administration and
Finance, National Council of Population, Essential Drugs Program and Central
Logistics Unit, UNFPA, and (insert other relevant organizations).
Chapter IV
The Work Meetings
Article 14. Meetings. The working meetings of the CS Committee will be ordinary and
extraordinary.
Article 15. Ordinary Meetings. The members of the CS Committee will meet regularly
every month. The meeting appointment shall be made eight days in advance. In case of an
emergency, the meeting notice will be made two days in advance. The meeting notice will be
made by the General Coordinator of the CS Committee.
Article 16. Extraordinary Meetings. The CS Committee General Coordinator will convene
extraordinary meetings and the venue will be decided according to availability.
Article 17. Quorum. To carry out the meetings of the CS Committee, the quorum will be
established with the presence of half plus one of its members.
Article 18. Commitments And Discussions. For the CS Committee's resolutions to be valid,
they shall be made by absolute majority of the attendees, constituted by half plus one of the
members.
Article 19. Special Vote. At the request of any member of the CS Committee, her/his vote will
be recorded as a Special Vote when her/his vote does not adhere to the decision of the majority.
Chapter V
Minutes
Article 20. Minutes Files. The CS Committee and its Sub-Committees shall keep the
minutes of ordinary and extraordinary meetings in the organization assigned for that purpose.
Article 21. Requirements of Minutes. The minutes shall state the place, date, time, and
page numbering where the meetings are recorded; the names of the representatives of the
institutions attending CS Committee and/or Sub- Committees meetings; and the names of
those absent, as well as the topics discussed and decisions made by the CS Committee and/or
Sub-Committee. For each agenda item developed and approved, the minutes will contain a
summary of the discussions, the agreements, next steps, and commitments reached.
Chapter VI
Material Resources
Article 22. CS Committee Resources. Because of its ad hoc advisory nature, as well as its
monitoring and support role, in order to perform its functions, the CS Committee may solicit,
subject to the laws, contributions from governmental and nongovernmental, national and
international organizations, in kind or cash contributions of products or services; especially
from those organizations and institutions that are officially part of the CS Committee.
8
Chapter VII
Final Provisions
Article 23. Modifications. These norms may be revised by the CS Committee within a
maximum period of five (5) years and the review shall be proposed by half plus one of its
members, whose review and decisions shall be agreed upon and recorded in formal minutes.
Article 24. Procedure. The proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the CS
Committee General Coordinator, and the amendments shall be sent to Ministry of Health and
National Population Council Legal Advisory for their analysis and opinion. They will,
thereafter, return the proposed amendments with their decision within a fifteen day period
and will be presented to the CS Committee for their acknowledgment and approval.
Article 25. The provisions of these regulations are mandatory and all committee members
shall comply by them.
9