The UNFPA approach to reproductive health commodity security can be summarized in a simple statement: the right quantities of the right products in the right condition in the right place at the right time for the right price.

This is what the statement means for UNFPA:

1. The Right Quantities

UNFPA supports needs assessment and forecasting to predict the quantity and type of commodity needed and when it will be needed. Drawing upon its unique database on donor support for contraceptives and logistics, the Fund can help forecast potential shortfalls in reproductive health commodities, including the supply of condoms. With careful forecasting, potential shortfalls can often be averted.

2. Of the Right Products

Needs vary from one country to the next. With specifications based on solid market research, UNFPA helps ensure that the commodities provided are the ones that people want and need. Research enables UNFPA and its partners to understand the use of commodities and to identify opportunities to increase demand.

3. In the Right Condition

Quality assurance, storage and warehousing are fundamental aspects of commodity security. People count on reproductive health products to protect their health and plan their families. It is essential that they are of good quality with maximum shelf life.

4. In the Right Place

On a daily basis, UNFPA helps national programmes ensure that supplies move from manufacturer to warehouse to distributor to individual user. Distribution systems must be reliable, efficient and able to reach people in distant locations and under difficult conditions.

5. At the Right Time

Lead times, consumption patterns and transportation determine whether supplies are available when they are needed. Long-term planning offers a measure of control, anticipating needs far in advance. For example, suppliers need up to six months to produce and deliver commodities, market researchers need time to gather data, and funding sources need time to budget for future deliveries. To increase speed and efficiency, UNFPA has expanded its own capacity and taken the lead in coordinating partners at all steps of the process.

6. For the Right Price

Costs are kept down through good planning and coordination, competitive bidding, innovative attempts to rationalize expenses, tracking, monitoring and accountability. Also, as the largest international public sector procurer of these reproductive health commodities, UNFPA is able to purchase in bulk to keep prices down.

UNFPA’s Procurement Unit has established a worldwide network of suppliers and offers high-quality products at the most competitive pricing, while at the same time supporting emerging industries. For those countries able to purchase their own supplies, the aim is to provide access to the lowest possible prices.

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