Demand Generation I-Kit for Underutilized, Life Saving Commodities

About the I-Kit

Access to and use of life-saving commodities across the reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) continuum of care has been limited due to financial constraints, sociocultural issues and lack of demand by health care providers and clients.

Overview: Family Planning

This section of the I-Kit provides step-by-step guidance, illustrative communication strategies and additional resources for underutilized commodities in family planning: contraceptive implants, emergency contraception and the female condom.

Santé maternelle et néonatale

Overview: Maternal & Newborn Health

This section of the I-Kit provides step-by-step guidance, illustrative communication strategies and additional resources for underutilized commodities in maternal and newborn health: Misoprostol to prevent and treat postpartum hemorrhage, Magnesium sulfate to treat preeclampsia and Chlorhexidine for cord care to prevent infection in newborns.

Overview: Child Health

This section of the I-Kit provides step-by-step guidance, illustrative communication strategies and additional resources for underutilized commodities in child health: amoxicillin for pneumonia, and zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) for diarrhea.

Overview: Cross-Cutting Topics

This section of the I-Kit provides resources on how to address the role of gender, how to select media channels, how to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) and new media, and how to leverage public-private partnerships for demand generation.

Gender

Demand generation strategies must consider gender concerns when designing messages as gender affects access to information, health services and economic resources.  Well-designed demand generation strategies will direct messages to clearly defined target audiences, considering the appropriate timing, location and call to action for each audience.  Gender directly impacts where and when target audiences are exposed to messages, and how the audience is able to respond to the messages.

Media Selection

The most successful demand generation interventions are those that are grounded in sound behavioral and communication theory. But while theory and frameworks are commonly used to guide the design of health messaging content, the same is not always the case for the selection of the media through which those messages are conveyed.

ICT and New Media

The use of ICT and new media shows huge potential in increasing demand and utilization of the commodities. However, there is limited evidence of e- and m-health interventions from low-resource settings. While SMS reminders are a common intervention, there is less known about what other interventions have been, or are currently, being implemented, what their challenges and successes have been, and what (preliminary) results they have shown. Furthermore, there has been a call for mHealth interventions to be guided by behavior change theory yet limited literature exists to document projects that have explicitly used these theories. There is a need to capture and disseminate evidence being generated in programs that is not reported in the literature.

Public Private Partnerships

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) are an effective way to increase resources, expand revenue streams, increase visibility and expand credibility for demand generation programs.  Successful partnerships are engaging and mutually beneficial for both parties and consider the other partner’s relative comparative strengths.  Each partner brings expertise to the table, but also each has constraints and competing demands, as well as opportunities to be explored.

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