Topic » Reproductive Health Supplies

Around the world, more than 215 million women want to prevent pregnancy but need contraception. Often, these women must travel far from their communities to reach a health facility, only to return home empty-handed due to stock-outs. When women seeking family planning services are turned away, they are unable to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Despite an increased demand for reproductive health supplies, donor support is fading, and many national governments have not prioritized ensuring access. Limited human resources, weak transportation and outdated inventory systems all lead to major delays in delivery to local facilities, sometimes causing supplies to sit in storage while clinics experience severe shortages.

PAI has been a leader on the issue of reproductive health supplies advocacy, co-sponsoring a 2001 meeting in Istanbul that brought together government representatives from donor and developing countries to seek solutions to the supply crisis. PAI continues to work to increase financial and political support for reproductive health supplies and coordinate national, regional, and global advocacy.