Innovation leads to success in Pakistan
Karachi – Marie Stopes Society (MSS) in Pakistan is on track to serve over 170,000 women and men with long-term and permanent contraceptive methods (LTPMs)* this year. That will be double the number of LTPMs delivered by MSS in 2008. This increase is a result of MSS’ national expansion project, begun in 2007, which is deploying a multi-pronged approach to reduce maternal mortality by significantly expanding access to contraceptive methods.
Over the last two years, MSS has expanded its geographic spread and now has clinics across all of Pakistan’s four provinces. Forty nine new sexual and reproductive health (SRH) clinics have been opened, bringing the total number of MSS clinics in the country to 90.
At the same time, MSS also introduced Mobile Service Units (MSUs). These MSU’s, each manned by a driver and nurse, take reproductive health services direct to scattered populations in remote, hard to reach areas. Built for rugged terrain, there are currently four MSUs in operation, in Multan, Peshawar and Khairpur. In just under two years, the units have reached 13,400 people, some of whom had never had access to services before.
Using localised marketing has been key to MSS winning the acceptance and confidence of communities, especially those in the most remote areas. MSS developed the Urdu brand ‘Behtar Zindagi’. The brand uses the Marie Stopes International (MSI) blue door symbol, which stands for quality health services the world over. This local adaptation of the brand, combined with the Urdu words for ‘Better Life’, have helped MSS to reach out to remote communities.
MSS is also working with existing private healthcare providers to expand access to SRH services in the most cost effective way. The Suraj network started just eight months ago and now has more than 100 franchisees. MSS’ has trained the franchisees to government and MSI standards in the provision of IUD (intrauterine devices) services. The number of IUDs provided to women by MSS will jump from just under 51,000 in 2008 to an expected 100,000 or more in 2009; around 34% (34,000) of these will be provided by Suraj franchisees. .
Delivering high quality services via a multi-pronged approach, combined with marketing initiatives tailored to the local population, has proven to be a winning formula for MSS. Under the national expansion project, the number of people being reached by MSS is growing rapidly year on year. This year alone, the team has already reached 307,000 clients. Although there is still a long way to go, these results are a real testimony to the MSS team’s ability to meet unmet need, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
* LTPMs include intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants and female and male sterilisation.