The INFO Project Blog

In a recent interview about the Elements of Family Planning Success, Dr. Alan Bornbusch gives examples of national contraceptive success stories in countries including Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Dr. Bornbusch, a Public Health Adviser in USAID/Washington’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, explains the role of the supply chains and gives strategies for averting bottlenecks (supply choke points) in national contraceptive provision programs.

Zimbabwe has an innovative system that Dr. Bornbusch describes in this video. Trucks come to clinics each month with laptops to work with contraceptive supply managers to determine what supply should be for that month. Then, the supply is “topped up” to carry them through the next month.

Read the transcript of his entire interview, then tell us what you think.

In light of INFO Project’s online discussion forum on female condom programming in low-resource settings, we thought it appropriate to highlight a recent Lancet Global Health Network’s article featuring a report on U.S. foreign policy’s role on the acquisition and promotion of female condoms in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) recently released this report presenting an overview of the female condom, its role in the prevention of HIV, the challenges faced in making the contraceptive accessible, and a thorough explanation of U.S. and global policies that affect the use and promotion of the female condom.

The report summarizes a number of peer-reviewed articles and also features opinions from female condom experts and organizations. The article concludes with a number of evidence-based recommendations for U.S. and U.S. agencies’ support in the procurement, distribution and advocacy of female condoms and removal of existing barriers hindering women’s access to these potentially life-saving contraceptives.

We were interested to see news regarding a recent restriction of advocacy and promotion of condoms and other forms of modern contraception in the state of Anambra, Nigeria. The state commissioner for health explains “The use of condoms has greatly encouraged immorality” and sexual education for children should emphasize abstinence.

Read about the changes, the controversy and the reasons for this restriction on UN’s humanitarian news and analysis site, IRIN.

Join colleagues around the world in an online discussion forum from April 23 - May 2, 2008. Health professionals will share their experiences with female condoms in diverse service delivery settings. This forum will be an opportunity to review the latest guidance on female condoms featured in Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers and exchange information and experiences with colleagues who are working to provide high-quality family planning services.

Register for free

The discussion will be guided by the interest of the participants. Topics will include integration of female condoms into family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, opportunities for male involvement, strategies for encouraging commitment and participation of governments, donor agencies and civil society in female condom programming, as well as practical guidance related to female condom use and counseling. Read the rest of this entry »

As a longtime fan of her work, I was excited to learn that Jessica Mayberry’s Video Volunteers brigade has been selected to participate in America’s Giving Challenge, an online fundraising competition sponsored by Global Giving and Parade Magazine. Read the rest of this entry »