Expanding Effective Contraceptive Options (EECO) Workplan Final January 2018

The project is funded by the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) and focuses on introducing and creating demand for multiple new family planning (FP) product lines, including the Woman's Condom. The Woman's Condom is a redesigned female condom that offers non-hormonal, on-demand protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). EECO's technical approach aligns with the key strategies relevant for HIV prevention and family planning in Malawi and Zambia. The project's interventions will contribute to the priorities related to condom use in the Malawi Ministry of Health (MOH) National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS (2015-2020) and National HIV Prevention Strategy (2015 – 2020), as well as the Zambian MOH National AIDS Strategic Framework (2017-2021). The workplan activities will also support the achievement of the national FP2020 goals for both Malawi and Zambia. EECO has made significant progress in introducing the Woman's Condom in Malawi and Zambia. Key achievements include securing approval for distribution of the Woman's Condom by Malawi's Pharmacy, Poisons and Medicines Board (PMPB) in 2014 and registering the Woman's Condom with the Zambian Medicines and Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) in the same year. The project has also facilitated lot testing for procurements of the Woman's Condom for Zambia and Malawi, procured Woman's Condoms for Malawi and Zambia, and trained more than 200 Malawian providers and pharmacists on the Woman's Condom. In 2018, EECO plans to continue its efforts to improve availability and access to the Woman's Condom. Key Stage 5 activities and outputs planned for 2018 include procuring a third shipment of Woman's Condoms for Malawi, facilitating production, pre-shipment sampling/inspection, pre-shipment testing, and QA release for this procurement lot, and stocking the Woman's Condom in retail outlets that sell the product to consumers. The project aims to achieve the following results through Stage 5 activities in 2018: improved availability of and access to the Woman's Condom, increased demand for condoms including the Woman's Condom, national female condom programming supported, and knowledge generated, documented, and disseminated in support of strategic female condom programming. EECO's marketing efforts have focused on promoting the Woman's Condom as an on-demand, non-hormonal, woman-initiated method. The project has developed marketing plans, including pricing strategy, and has introduced the brand Whisper for the Woman's Condom in Malawi and the brand Maximum Diva for the Woman's Condom in Zambia. The project aims to increase demand for condoms, including the Woman's Condom, by promoting the product alongside other lines of condoms and by developing marketing plans that address the needs of women and girls in Malawi and Zambia. EECO's work in 2018 will focus on continuing to improve availability and access to the Woman's Condom, increasing demand for condoms, including the Woman's Condom, and supporting national female condom programming. The project's efforts will contribute to the achievement of the national FP2020 goals for both Malawi and Zambia and will support the priorities related to condom use in the Malawi MOH National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and the Zambian MOH National AIDS Strategic Framework.