Number and percent of women and men aged 15-49 who use a private sector source to obtain modern family planning methods

Number and percent of women and men aged 15-49 who use a private sector source to obtain modern family planning methods

Number and percent of women and men aged 15-49 who use a private sector source to obtain modern family planning methods

The number or percent of women and men aged 15 to 49 (or in a target population) who obtained a family planning (FP) method from a private sector (PS) source, during a specified time period.

The private sector is defined as all the providers, suppliers, and ancillary and support services that lie outside the public sector. These include commercial or for-profit entities, franchises, multinational corporations, non-profit organizations, community groups, informal vendors, and private providers, such as doctors, pharmacies, and hospital staff (Armand et al., 2007).

Modern FP methods include hormonal methods (oral contraceptives, injectables, vaginal rings, patches); intrauterine devices (IUD); barrier methods (condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap); emergency contraception; sterilization; and standard days method.

This indicator is calculated as:

(Number of women and men aged 15-49 who obtained FP method from PS sources / Total number women and men aged 15-49 who obtained FP methods from all sources, including public, private, non-governmental, and community-based,  during a specified time period) x 100

This indicator is a subset for FP of one of the core indicators for Strengthening and scaling up effective private sector service delivery and distribution in the expanded Strengthening Health Outcomes though the Private Sector (SHOPS) Project (Abt, 2009). For further details on this and related indicators from the SHOPS project, see Abt (2009); Abt (2011); Abt (2005); and Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (2009).

Data Requirement(s):

Data can be collected from facility service delivery statistics and health information systems (HIS) or population-based household surveys, such as the Demographic Health Survey (DHS). The data can be disaggregated by the type of PS facility or program (commercial for-profit, non-profit organization, franchise, community groups, etc.), by the specific types of FP methods obtained, sex, age group, income quintiles of clients, and by other relevant factors such as districts, urban/rural location, and target populations.

Facility records; HIS; DHS

This indicator captures growth in the PS market share for provision of modern FP methods and can be further disaggregated by specific categories of methods. Growth of the PS market share for FP methods indicates success in policies and strategies aimed at strengthening and scaling up PS sources, and can be compared with growth in the total market as an indicator of overall expansion of delivery of modern FP method services. Strengthening PS involvement in providing quality FP services is considered essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals to #4 reduce child mortality and #5 improve maternal health.

Obtaining full and accurate method delivery information on PS entities that provide FP services can be problematic in settings where PS providers are not required to register with or report to government agencies, such as the ministry of health.  Data from population-based surveys may introduce recall bias because women and men may not remember or know whether they obtained their FP methods from public or PS sources.

access, family planning, private sector

Abt Associates, 2005, Performance Monitoring Indicators for the Private Sector Program (PSP), with Explanatory Notes. Bethesda, MD: Abt Associates, Inc. https://www.shopsplusproject.org/sites/default/files/resources/1081_file_PSP_Perfomance_Monitoring_Indicators_April_1_2005.pdf

Abt Associates, 2009, Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Project:  Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), Year 1. Bethesda: MD: ABT Asociates, Inc.

Abt Associates, 2011, Updated SHOPS Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), Bethesda: MD: ABT Asociates, Inc.

Armand F., O’Hanlon B., McEuen M., Kolyada L., and Levin L. March 2007. Private Sector Contribution to Family Planning and Contraceptive Security in the Europe and Eurasia Region. Bethesda, MD: Private Sector Partnerships-One project, Abt Associates Inc.

Family Health International (FHI 360), 2011, Contraceptive Fact Sheet and FAQs.

Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, 2009, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (2007-2015), Brussels: RHSC.

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Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Family Planning (Core)