Introduction of female condoms in Cameroon
Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Programme
Bertrand Dimody, ACMS & Nienke Blauw, Rutgers WPF
RHSC Membership Meeting,
24 June 2010, Addis Abeba
Overview presentation:
• Context
– Female Condoms
– UAFC Joint Programme
– SRH situation Cameroon
• UAFC Country Programme Cameroon
– Lesson learned – Issues – Solutions
– Results
• Conclusion
CONTEXT
• Female condoms
• UAFC Joint Programme
– Procurement, Research & Development
– International Advocacy, Linking & Learning,
Communication
– Country Programmes
• SRH situation Cameroon
UAFC Country Programme Cameroon – Lessons learned 1
•Issue: ‘heritage’ from previous programs and global
situation.
•Solution: Integrated approach, including:
– Advocacy,
– the social marketing of female condoms,
– Operational research for the (monitoring of the) project
implementation
– Fundraising and continued advocacy towards international donor
agencies and multilateral organizations for sustainable
procurement and programming
•Lesson: Large scale, integrated programming (not just
procurement!) needed to overcome supply side barriers
UAFC Country Programme Cameroon – Lessons learned 2
•Issue: Difficulties within distribution system set-up: lower
than expected distribution and sales at certain sales/
distribution points and high turn-over of peer educators
•Solutions:
– The training of peer educators for community awareness,
monitored by ACMS;
– Change within set-up of distribution system to increase
accessibility and targeted IEC: more independent peer educators
and hair dressers;
– Linking with and learning from other female condom
program (Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique)
UAFC Country Programme Cameroon – Lessons learned 2
(Continued)
Lesson: Women oriented sales points such as hair dressing
salons turn out to be better at combining education and sales
than CBOs and are at the same time safer spaces for
women to buy the product than health care providers or
general commercial stores.
UAFC Country Programme Cameroon – Lessons learned 3
•Issues: High procurement price & lack of choice
•Solutions:
– More bulk procurement for lower prices and less clearance
instances (by I+ solutions)
– Introducing a second female condom to increase competition and
choice
– Support to manufacturers in prequalification process
•Lesson: Establishing good communication and cooperation
between procurement agents, manufacturers and regulatory
agencies is essential to ensure successful introduction of
female condoms.
UAFC Country Programme Cameroon – Lessons learned 4
•Issue: regulatory obstacles relating to procurement of nonprequalified female condoms.
•Solution: Strengthening the Ministry of Health’s National
Laboratory of Quality Control & Assurance – LANACOME
•Lesson: Establishing good communication and cooperation
between national ministries of health, social marketing
organizations and procurement agents is essential to ensure
successful introduction of female condoms.
Results
•To date, a total of 3.7 million female condoms have been
procured in bulk for Cameroon at below-average prices, of
which over 1.1 million have been distributed or sold since
2009
•Interest of donors to continue funding the program after
2011
•Technical and in-kind support for LANACOME has
increased the testing capacity of a variety of female
condoms and strengthened commitment from the
Cameroonian government
Recommendations for other technologies:
• Innovative social marketing including IEC and women
oriented sales points can increase distribution and
• Large scale, integrated programming, including advocacy
and IEC, is critical to ensuring long term success
Program needs:
• a system to link & learn
• more investment in large scale, integrated programming of
new and underused technologies, including investment in
bulk procurement to lower prices