In developing countries, 218 million women want to avoid pregnancy but are using no modern method of family planning (FP). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of women with an unmet need for modern contraception in the world.
The EECO project introduces promising contraceptive methods in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia through pilot studies. Based on learning from these pilots, EECO produces roadmaps for introducing and creating demand for new and underused family planning products.
Catalyst Global is proud to lead the EECO team. Our role is to identify and coordinate a skilled team of partners, link upstream product developers and suppliers with downstream marketing and distribution partners; lead regulatory and Quality Assurance efforts; troubleshoot and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities; and work through both public and private sector channels to bring essential reproductive health commodities to the girls and women who need them.
The Catalyst Global-led consortia has successfully introduced three innovative contraceptive methods in six LMICs, increasing women’s choices for voluntary family planning methods. Examples of products that Catalyst Global and partners have successfully introduced include the Caya® Diaphragm and Caya® Gel in Niger and Benin; the hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) in Zambia and Madagascar; and, the Woman’s Condom in Malawi and Zambia. In collaboration with the Population Council, EECO has also supported the introduction of the progesterone vaginal ring in Nigeria as well as an acceptability study of the Dual Prevention Pill, a multipurpose prevention technology that combines oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and an oral contraceptive, in South Africa.
Each product in the EECO portfolio has important benefits; for example, some are non-hormonal, long-acting, reversible, discreet, and/or can be used on demand. Several products are also self-care methods, which helps overcome barriers such as lack of access to health care providers or provider biases.
Benin, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Zambia
2013 – 2023
The Product Registration Toolkit is a digital collection of adaptable resources to guide the process of registering health products, like contraceptives, in low- and middle-income countries. Also available in French.
EECO-supported product introduction takes place in five stages, some of which occur concurrently:
“I hated taking pills! They just weren’t for me. I was always forgetting to take them when my husband was away, and on top of that, they made me nauseated. I eventually gave up on the pill, and during that time my husband and I used the withdrawal method.
We knew there were other options, but none of them seemed right. One day, a health worker came to our house. She told me about lots of different contraceptive methods, but the one that I thought was most interesting was the Caya® Diaphragm. It was the first time I had heard about this method.
She showed me how it worked and how to use it. I started using it right away. My husband and I both really like this method. I’ve also told some of my friends about how you only have to use it when you have sex, and some of them are very interested. I’m really glad to have found a method that works for me.”
Key results
More than 137,000 Woman’s Condoms were distributed through pilot introductions in Zambia and Malawi. Female condoms are the only available contraceptive method that is woman-initiated and that offers triple protection against HIV, STIs, and pregnancy.
Between 2017-2021, more than 4,800 women chose the hormonal IUD as their method of contraception in Zambia and Madagascar. In both countries, the probability of continuation of the method at 12 months remained high (over 80%).
In Niger and Benin, the launch of the Caya® Diaphragm and Caya® Gel provides women with the option of a self-care method that can be obtained either from a provider or a community health worker. Since the start of the pilots, more than 2,400 women have opted for the method.
Partners
Partners
Partners
Project Resources
Expanding Effective Contraceptive Options: Introducing the Caya® Diaphragm in Niger (English, June 2020). EECO-Caya-Intro-in-Niger_June-2020
Expanding Effective Contraceptive Options: Introducing the Caya® Diaphragm in Niger (French, June 2020). EECO-Caya-Intro-in-Niger_June-2020_French-1
Introducing the Caya Diaphragm in Francophone West Africa (Nov 2022) | English | French
Will diaphragms make a comeback? (July 2019). https://www.psi.org/2019/07/will-diaphragms-make-a-comeback/
How a new self-care product in Niger is meeting women’s unique needs during COVID-19 (August 2020). https://www.psi.org/2020/08/how-a-new-self-care-product-in-niger-is-meeting-womens-unique-needs-during-covid-19/
The Appeal and Potential of On-Demand Contraceptive Options (December 2021) https://www.psi.org/2021/12/the-appeal-and-potential-of-on-demand-contraceptive-options/
Making diaphragms cool again: Bringing an old method to a new audience (Jul 2022). https://www.psi.org/project/self-care/making-diaphragms-cool-again-bringing-an-old-method-to-a-new-audience/
EECO Brown Bag: Pilot Introduction of the Caya Diaphragm in Benin
English: EECO-Regulatory-Guide
French: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:44e2b310-1d09-499e-9576-f3eabf4354b9
Portuguese: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:d1f28fe6-111b-421c-b09d-e3292b069c35
Spanish: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:0a5e34ff-ae62-4105-95fa-17795d8acfcd
Product Registration: Pro Tips for Program Managers (May 2019). https://www.psi.org/2019/05/product-registration-pro-tips-for-program-managers/
Overwhelmed with health product registration? We’re here to help! (Jul 2022). https://catalystglobal.org/2022/07/25/overwhelmed-with-health-product-registration-were-here-to-help/
African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization in Regulatory Rapporteur (Nov 2017). https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TPBN.pdf
‘Donation of Contraceptive Products through Special Import Permits: A Case Study in Zambia and Nigeria’ in International Journal of Drug Regulatory Affairs (Dec 2020). http://www.ijdra.com/index.php/journal/article/view/437
‘Contraceptive product registration: regional harmonisation through the East African Community mechanism’ in Regulatory Rapporteur (Jun 2023). https://www.regulatoryrapporteur.org/contraceptive-product-registration-regional-harmonisation-through-the-east-african-community-mechanism/246.article?adredir=1
Modeling the Market Size for a Contraceptive Fertility Tracking App in the Philippines. (August 2023).
Equipping Providers to Offer Novel MPTs: Developing Counseling Messages for the Dual Prevention Pill in Clinical Studies and Beyond (May 2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2023.1155948
EECO Brown Bag: Prévision de la Demande (April 2023)
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Regulatory requirements for product registration can be overwhelming. They’re complex, vary by country, and frequently change. We know they’re important (safe medicines, yes!), but what does it actually take to get a product from the manufacturing plant onto the shelves in your local pharmacy? Let’s take a look together.
The Product Registration Toolkit is a digital collection of adaptable resources to guide the process of registering health products, like contraceptives, in low- and middle-income countries.