Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2015

Abstract

The Population Council is conducting activities to facilitate the introduction of vaginal rings in sub-Saharan Africa. This report notes that the first ring to be introduced will be the Council’s Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (PCVR), which is relevant in contexts where women practice prolonged lactation. The PCVR will also address the high unmet need for family planning (FP), especially for postpartum women. The Council aims to expand the availability and affordability of vaginal rings in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. One of the challenges is the lack of skilled providers. To design plans for involving mid- and lower-level health workers in PCVR provision, a review of task-sharing experiences was conducted in the three countries where task-sharing of critical MNCH service delivery functions to various degrees. Positive task-sharing and task-shifting initiatives undertaken in Senegal suggest that there is great potential for distribution of contraceptive vaginal rings by lower-level health workers. Recent task-shifting initiatives demonstrated that community health workers could provide good quality services in their communities. These experiences contributed to increased access and uptake of FP services.

DOI

10.31899/rh9.1018

Language

English

Project

Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings; The Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring: Expanding Contraceptive Options in Africa

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