Contraception Distribution (CI0023)

Integrate the distribution of contraceptive products into the
minimum health care activity package of 4000 community health
care workers by 2020.
July 2018-June 2020
Main implementing agency/
actor
National Mother and Child Health Program (PNSME)
Description de l’engagement
What is the public interest
issue to be addressed by this
commitment?
The commitment will address the issue of low contraceptive
prevalence.
What is the commitment ?
Integrate the distribution of contraceptive products into the
minimum health care activity package of 4000 community
care health workers by 2020.
These community health care workers are selected the
populations themselves.
How will the commitment
contribute to solve the public
problem?
The Community healthcare workers (ASC) continue health
workers actions within the community.
They already provide promotion, prevention and home
based care services (malaria, diarrhea, acute respiratory
infections).
Include family planning in these services will allow to get
service offer closer to populations and improve the
contraceptive prevalence.
Why is the commitment
relevant to OGP values ?
The commitment promotes citizen participation with the
involvement of community health care workers.
Additional information
- Building the capacity of all community health care
workers (Training and equipment) for contraceptive
products resupply.
- The implementation of a pilot study to delegate tasks
concerning prescription of short acting contraceptives by
community health care workers in the three medical
districts.
- The assessment of the pilot phase to delegate tasks
concerning prescription of short acting contraceptives by
community health care workers in the three medical districts
- This commitment is part of the PF 2015-2020 budgeted
National Actions Plan which in line with 2016-2020
SDNP and 2016-2020 NDP ;
- This commitment is part of Côte d'Ivoire's commitment
in the framework of Ouagadougou and FP 2020 initiative
commitments.
Important activity having
a verifiable deliverable Start date End date
4000 ASC trained July 2017 June 2020
Contact information
Name of responsible person
from the implementing
agency
DR KOUASSI Amoin Emilienne
Title, Ministry
- PNSME Director Coordinator
- Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene.
Email and Phone
- [email protected];
- Tel: 20322415 /20322463
Other
stakeholders
involved
State actors
involved
- Ministry in charge of Youth;
- Ministry in charge of Social Protection;
- Ministry in charge of Women:
- Ministry in charge of National and Technical Education;
- Ministry of National Education, Technical Education and
Vocational Training.
CSOs, private
sector,
multilaterals,
working
groups
- UNFPA, OOAS, OMS, AFD, USAID, IPPF, World Bank, KFW,
for strengthening of service offer
- International and national NGOs: AIMAS, AIBEF,
Pathfinder, PSI, Engender Health

8. Integrate the distribution of contraceptive products into the minimum health care activity package of 4000 community health care workers by 2020

Commitment description as it appears in the action plan:

"Integrate the distribution of contraceptive products into the minimum health care activity package of 4000 community care health workers by 2020. These community health care workers are selected by the populations themselves."

Milestones:

1. 4000 community healthcare workers trained
2. Building the capacity of all community health care workers (Training and equipment) for contraceptive products resupply.
3. The implementation of a pilot study to delegate tasks concerning prescription of short acting contraceptives by community health care workers in the three medical districts.
4. The assessment of the pilot phase to delegate tasks concerning prescription of short acting contraceptives by community health care workers in the three medical districts.*

*Editorial Note: the IRM researcher added 3 milestones in order to reflect the “Additional information?” section of the commitment as indicated in the action plan. For the full text of this commitment, see Côte d'Ivoire’s action plan 2018-2020: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Cote-Divoire_Action-Plan_2018-2020_EN.pdf.

Lead implementing agency/actor: National Mother and Child Health Program (PNSME) / National and international NGOs: AIMAS, AIBEF, Pathfinder, PSI, Engender Health.

Start Date: July 2018

End Date: June 2020

Context and design

Currently, access to family planning services remains limited in healthcare facilities in Côte d'Ivoire and the modern contraceptive prevalence rate is very low in regions such as Indénié-Djuablin (3%), Aries (4%), and Hambol (5%). [117] According to a civil society representative, [118] the distribution of contraceptive products through community health agents would contribute to family planning, make it possible to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate, and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.

As part of the National Health Development Plan 2016-2020, which aims to strengthen governance and leadership in the health sector, increase the quality of service delivery and reinforce prevention and health promotion, [119] the commitment addresses the issue of family planning and low contraceptive prevalence. In this area, Côte d’Ivoire takes part in international initiatives such as Family Planning 2020. [120] According to the activities undertaken within this initiative in 2017, Côte d’Ivoire pledged to increase state financial resources and access to family planning services, involve community health workers and health facilities in family planning programs, and strengthen the supply chain for family planning products. [121]

Within these priorities, this commitment aims to integrate the distribution of contraceptive products into the activities of 4,000 community health workers by 2020. These individuals come from the community and continue and expand the work of health professionals within their communities. Acting as volunteers, they are considered an essential link in the health chain by raising awareness in the communities on health issues, providing information, support and training. [122]

While family planning is a policy area of national importance, this commitment is not directly related to open government values. To be relevant, a commitment must increase government transparency, civic participation, or public accountability in relation to government practices. For example, if this commitment had involved community monitoring of the contraceptive supply chain or community monitoring of family planning services at health centers then this reform would be relevant to the OGP values of public accountability and civic participation. However, as written, this commitment does not contain an open government lens.

This commitment is determined to have a minor potential impact on the provision of family planning services and products. While this commitment addresses an area of national importance, the activities are limited to a pilot in 3 medical districts and are therefore of modest ambition.

Completion

This commitment was fully implemented as over 5,000 community health workers received training to include family planning advice as part of their role across 58 health districts over 18 health regions. Other commitment activities involved training 1,500 community health workers for community-based distribution of contraceptives, drafting the protocol for a pilot phase of prescription of short-term contraceptives and choosing pilot districts. [123] While this commitment was completed, its impact in terms of open government was not assessed, as it lacks direct relevance to open government values.

Côte d'Ivoire's 2020-2022 action plan includes two commitments (8 and 9) related to family planning and contraceptive products. These aim to create a budget line for the purchase of contraceptive products and publish information on family planning and contraception, the second of which is relevant to open government values. As recommended in the 2020-2022 Action Plan Review, the Technical Committee and Civil Society Platform should work together to design commitments with a clear connection to creating more transparent, accountable, or participatory government practices to ensure that commitments contain an open government lens. [124]