Without the right medication, even a highly skilled midwife can’t keep a woman from bleeding to death. Without access to condoms, a man living with HIV may not be able to protect his wife from the virus. And without access to contraceptives, a bride may find herself a mother to three children while still a teenager.
See how countries are progressing towards reproductive health supply security based on indicators such as the degree of political support and the availability of resources.
Access to a reliable supply of contraceptives, condoms, medicines and equipment is essential to all UNFPA programming and to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Without the right supplies at the right times, people will suffer and programmes will falter.
UNFPA’s goal is reproductive health commodity security, which means that all individuals can obtain and use affordable, quality reproductive health supplies of their choice whenever they need them.
Achieving this is a complex process, and must be geared to the vastly different needs and capacities of different countries. Through its Global Programme to Enhance Reproductive Health Commodity Security, UNFPA and its partners assess country needs and tailor support. The idea is to move from providing supplies to supplying know-how, including tools and training to build country capacity. UNFPA also plays a key role in restoring the supply chain in times of crisis.
