THE PROBLEM

225 million women in developing countries have an unmet need for modern contraception.[1]

Unmet need for contraception results in unplanned births, higher maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion, higher infant mortality and morbidity, poor health outcomes for children, and fewer educational and employment opportunities for women.[2] Providing contraception to all women with unmet need would avert an estimated 52 million unintended pregnancies, 36 million abortions, and 70,000 maternal deaths each year.[3]

THE AVIBELA PROJECT

Medicines360 is working to help ensure that women in low- and middle-income countries around the globe have access to highly effective modern contraception. One such highly effective method, the hormonal IUD, is not widely available in low- and middle-income countries due to its high cost relative to other contraceptives.

Medicines360, through its subsidiary Impact RH360, launched the Avibela Project to expand access to hormonal IUDs in these regions. Medicines360 licenses its hormonal IUD to NGOs and works hand-in-hand with them to support registration, provider training, and product launch. Medicines360 is also a member of the LNG IUS Working Group, a consortium made up of donors, researchers, service delivery organizations, and product suppliers with the goal of sharing learnings to facilitate the introduction of the hormonal IUD across the globe.

AVIBELA PROJECT PARTNERS

Impact RH360 works with the following international organizations to make its hormonal IUD available around the world.

WHERE THE AVIBELA PROJECT
IS OPERATING

  • Madagascar
  • Zambia

AVIBELA PROJECT
PRELIMINARY RESULTS

 

Reaching New Users

According to preliminary findings from small study in Madagascar, one-third of new hormonal IUD users reported that they would have chosen a traditional method or no method at all had a hormonal IUD not been available on the day of service.

Why Women Choose the Hormonal IUD

38% of women with an unmet need for modern contraception have used a modern method of contraception in the past but have chosen to discontinue use. Most women who discontinue for reasons other than wanting a child or no longer needing contraception report that they do so due to “method-related concerns”, primarily side effects.[4] M360 believes it is vital to make all modern methods of contraception available to women in low- and middle-income countries to give women the choice of the best contraceptive option for them.

 

[1] Guttmacher Institute Report. Unmet Need for Contraception in Developing Countries: Examining Women’s Reasons for Not Using a Method. June 2016. Accessed from: https://www.guttmacher.org/report/unmet-need-for-contraception-in-developing-countries.

[2] Population Council and Step Up. Askew, I. Causes and Consequences of Unintended Pregnancy in Developing Countries. 2012.
Accessed from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08a6ded915d3cfd000766 /2012ICCR_Askew.pdf.

[3] Schivone, G and Blumenthal, P. Contraception in the Developing World: Special Considerations. Semin Reprod Med. 2016 May;34(3):168-74. doi: 10.1055/s-0036-1571437. Epub 2016 Mar 8.

[4] Castle, S. and Askew, I. Contraceptive Discontinuation: Reasons, Challenges, and Solutions. Population Council. Dec 2015.
Accessed from: http://ec2-54-210-230-186.compute-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FP2020_ContraceptiveDiscontinuation _SinglePage_Revise_02.15.16.pdf.