In 2012, under the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) movement, and in support of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women’s and Children’s Health (the Commission) was formed to catalyze and accelerate reduction in mortality rates of both women and children. The Commission identified 13 overlooked life-saving commodities across the RMNCH ‘continuum of care’ that, if more widely accessed and properly used, could save the lives of more than six million women and children.
USAID serves as co-conveners of the global Technical Resource Team for Demand, Access and Performance, and tasked HC3 to lead implementation of the demand generation workplan.
To support countries in fast-tracking demand generation interventions in order to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5, the TRT developed the online Demand Generation Implementation Kit for Underutilized Commodities in RMNCH. The Kit is a step-by-step guide to developing communication strategies to increase demand for RMNCH commodities and is designed as a capacity strengthening resource for country-level implementers to utilize in their demand generation activities.
The Implementation Kit includes a set of core resources developed by HC3 that focus on demand generation for nine priority commodities:
- An illustrative communication strategy for implants, emergency contraception, female condom, misoprostol, magnesium sulfate, chlorhexidine, ORS/zinc and amoxicillin.
- Demand Generation for 13 Life-Saving Commodities: A Synthesis of Evidence and Commodity Spotlights
- Conducting a National Assessment on Demand Generation for Underutilized Commodities
- Addressing the Role of Gender in the Demand for RMNCH Commodities: A Programming Guide
- A Theory-Based Framework for Media Selection in Demand Generation Programs
- Utilizing ICT in Demand Generation for RMNCH: Three Case Studies and Recommendations
- The Guide to Public-Private Partnerships in Increasing the Demand for RMNCH Commodities
In the year ahead, HC3 will be disseminating the Implementation Kit and supporting its adaptation and use in priority countries.