Enterprise in Zimbabwe : a strategic approach to private sector family planning

initiated a project to expand workplace-based family planning services in Zimbabwe. The project began by establishing subprojects with five private companies representing key economic sectors. It also funded the development of informational materials to motivate male workers and the performance of costs-averted analyses on two of the subprojects. As result of the subprojects, contraceptive prevalence and/or couple-years of protection more than doubled in the target populations, with most clients being either dropouts from former programs or transfer acceptors from the public sector. Four of the participating firms have made family planning services a permanent benefit for their employees, and -- except for one company which receives donated contraceptives -- all now cover the entire cost of their programs. Additionally, three "spin- off" replication activities have developed, and with project assistance, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council has established a permanent unit to support private sector family planning services. Sustainability was also served by the project"s ability to demonstrate both monetary and non-monetary benefits of the programs. It is estimated that the Government of Zimbabwe could save as much as $1 million per year by shifting fiscal responsibility for family planning services to the private sector.