Elements of Family Planning Success

In 2004, the ACQUIRE Project in Guinea, in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health (MOH), implemented a three-phase project to increase access to and awareness of long-acting and permanent methods of family planning (LAPMs) particularly the intrauterine device (IUD), and to increase the MOH’s capacity to provide these services.

This case study illustrates the effectiveness of a synergistic “supply and demand” strategy that includes the engagement of religious and district MOH officials to increase awareness and knowledge of long-acting family planning methods in a low-resource setting in West Africa. This communications campaign was implemented with minimal monetary investment, in a context with clinical supply challenges, little local marketing capacity, a limited range of media, and a relatively conservative religious culture. Despite these challenges, the campaign succeeded in reaching the intended audience with relevant information that translated into a considerable number of women seeking IUD services and making an informed choice to use the IUD within a period of a few months time.