Political & Policy
- With support from USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other donors, FHI 360 is implementing a wide variety of projects to expand the evidence base for safe and effective family planning and translating high-quality evidence into policy and practice. For instance, a new award from the Saving Lives at Birth program will seek to synchronize immunization visits with family planning re-supply to improve immunization coverage, promote a more logical infant growth-monitoring schedule and raise contraceptive prevalence. Under the Advancing Partners & Communities (APC) Project, FHI 360 is studying self-injection of the contraceptive DMPA in a subcutaneous formulation and delivery system known as “Sayana Press” in Malawi. Also under the APC project, FHI 360 advocates for the scale-up of community-based family planning programs and supports the implementation and monitoring of national costed implementation plans (CIPs).
- Support to the family planning strategies of local governments and for scale-up of evidence-based practices is provided by FHI 360 in multiple countries, including India (Uttar Pradesh state), where FHI 360 leads the Urban Health Initiative. FHI 360 also conducts systematic reviews on family planning for the Cochrane Collaboration, an important source of evidence for the WHO Medical Eligibility for Criteria (MEC) Guidance.
Program Service & Delivery
- In addition to its work on the introduction of Sino-implant (II) and the development of longer-acting injectable contraception, FHI 360 is working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to pursue a pipeline of new contraceptive technologies for support under the Contraceptive Technology Innovation Initiative. This initiative also includes advocacy for innovative regulatory approaches to reduce the time it takes for new products to reach women and development of a new online clearinghouse that will expand global access to resources on contraceptive research, development and introduction.
- With USAID support, FHI 360 is also working to develop a biodegradable contraceptive implant.
Financial
- From October 2012 to July 2014, FHI 360 has contributed $783,000 of its own resources in support of the development and introduction of new contraceptive technologies. This includes support for work towards the introduction of Sino-implant (II) and the development of longer-acting injectable contraception.
