While the global health community has made significant strides in improving access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) products and services, a new report warns that a rapidly evolving market landscape demands a fresh approach to maintain these gains.
Historically, the emphasis has been on keeping an eye on the availability, cost, and quality of goods provided by the public sector, frequently with support from significant donors such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
When issues arose, the response involved negotiations with suppliers, introducing new products, or tweaking global procurement mechanisms, mainly within the public sector.
However, a groundbreaking report by Shaping Equitable Market Access for Reproductive Health (SEMA), “Looking Ahead: A Blueprint for Future SRH Market Transformation,” reveals a crucial blind spot: this approach overlooks the challenges faced by national public and private buyers, who are increasingly driving procurement efforts.
National stakeholders highlight their struggles in obtaining reliable and affordable supplies due to low stock purchases. They also point to difficulties in accurately gauging consumer demand, which hampers procurement planning, policy development, and program implementation.
To address these emerging hurdles, SEMA proposes a three-pronged approach: SEMA’s report suggests three ways to address market issues.
The first recommendation is to strengthen the national capacity to understand and address public and private markets. The second recommendation is to align investments and activities to gather and share market data. Lastly, SEMA urges the field to develop a mechanism that engages public and private national stakeholders to align with other partners on market priorities and facilitate a cross-country, multi-party coordinated response.
“The SRH market landscape is increasingly complex, with more buyers, diverse products, evolving demographics, and a rising private sector role,” emphasizes Blair Hanewall, SEMA’s Executive Director.
“To guarantee sustained access to quality, affordable products, we must invest in building capacities, data systems, and collaborative platforms, ensuring we utilize resources effectively to serve community needs.”
Sustainable access to SRH products hinges on the smooth functioning of interconnected systems like healthcare delivery, regulations, financing, social norms, supply chains, and, crucially, health markets.
Well-functioning public and private markets ensure readily available, high-quality, and affordable products that meet people’s needs and support supplier sustainability.
SEMA’s report, was informed by a year-long collaboration with technical and national partners, prioritizes country perspectives to identify risks and opportunities in SRH product markets.
The ultimate goal is to strengthen the health, equity, and resilience of these markets, empowering women and girls to access the resources they need to manage their health and build their futures.
