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Collective Action Needed to Improve Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Products, Report Says

The global health community has achieved significant progress in sexual and reproductive health (SRH), but a new report suggests that maintaining these gains will require a new approach due to the rapidly changing market landscape.

In the past, the global health community focused on monitoring market issues related to the supply, quality, and price of products provided to the public sector. However, a new report from Shaping Equitable Market Access for Reproductive Health (SEMA) indicates that this approach is missing key challenges faced by national public and private buyers, who are increasingly playing a larger procurement role.

The report recommends three ways to address the current and future market issues. First, it suggests focusing more attention on strengthening national capacity to understand and address public and private markets. Second, it recommends aligning investments and activities to gather and share market data. Lastly, SEMA urges the field to develop a mechanism that engages public and private national stakeholders to align with other partners on market priorities and facilitate a coordinated response.

Blair Hanewall, the Executive Director of SEMA, emphasizes the importance of these recommendations in addressing the complex and evolving market landscape, stating that investing in capacities, data structures, and coordination platforms is essential to sustain access to quality, affordable products.

Consumer access to SRH products relies on the effective performance of various interconnected systems, such as healthcare delivery, regulation, financing, social norms, supply chain, and health markets. The report by SEMA is based on year-long research conducted in collaboration with multiple technical and national partners to identify risks and opportunities to improve national and SRH product markets, with the ultimate goal of improving the health, equity, and resilience of these markets.

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