In September 2017, the end of the contract for supply of oral and injectable contraceptives to public sector facilities in South Africa was associated with considerable supply disruption, impacting not only the public sector, but also the private sector, according to a study by IQVIA recently published in the Frontiers in Women's Health Journal. Stock-outs of injectable and oral contraceptives emerged following the end of the public sector contract, putting women at risk of unwanted pregnancy.
The USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project funded the study to enable stakeholders to better understand the availability of contraceptive supplies and strengthen country health systems. The study, titled “How robust is contraceptive supply in South Africa? A time series study of oral and injectable contraceptive supply following the end of the 2017 public sector contract”, concludes that contraceptive security in South Africa “can be enhanced by a broad method mix, a deliberate attempt to attract a range of suppliers of similar, if not identical, products, and ongoing support to women and the healthcare workforce regarding the availability and advantages of different methods.”
