Purpose
UNFPA seeks to apply the total market approach (TMA) principles and methodologies to a range of contraceptives which will help design more effective programmes that better meet the contraception needs of all women in the country and contribute universal health coverage.
Background and Rationale
TMA is a concept that aims to provide goods or services sustainably and cost-effectively by using all possible available options of delivery to all segments of the population in need based on their preference and ability or willingness to pay for the said goods or services. It identifies market failures – who/what is failing, how and where it is failing, as well as where to work and how to get there. It looks at the health need, market performance, market structure and target audience insight. In too many countries, too often, easier to reach urban communities have a relative surfeit of choice of Family Planning (FP) services while rural, harder/difficult – to - reach and marginalized communities have little or no access to FP services.
TMA facilitates consensual development and aligns implementation of a national FP strategy that addresses access and equity imbalances. TMA can be designed to move contraceptive users up the value chain to contribute—based on ability and willingness to pay—an increasing proportion of the costs of their family planning services, thereby, reducing the funding burden and consequently reducing donor dependency and contributing to sustainability.
It is important to emphasize that TMA in no ways excludes the very poor who may not have the capacity to pay but have a real unmet need, it provides evidence for public sector commodities for this segment of the population. It also promotes the widespread adoption of indicators to monitor the progress of family planning services that do not create incentives that can lead to distortions in the distribution of services.
TMA defines the ability or willingness to pay as three distinct population segments that describe three distinct markets:
- Free to user – where the total cost of a good or service is borne by an entity other than the direct beneficiary (public sector).
- Subsidized market – where varying proportions of the cost of the good or service is borne by an entity other than the direct beneficiary (social marketing).
- Commercial market – where the total cost of the good or service is borne by the direct beneficiary (private sector).
In Cameroon, most reproductive health supplies are provided using the public sector “free – to – user” model, which is very highly donor and external partner dependent. It is imperative that other sustainable models of providing all reproductive health supplies are investigated, identified, field tested and adopted so that national governments and beneficiaries who can afford and are willing, take on the responsibilities of procuring their own quality assured contraceptives and other reproductive health medicines – and that those products are available in the countries through a range of channels of registration, distribution that serve a wider market range. Health insurance is another possible way that TMA considers.
A change in approach requires a review of the market for reproductive health (RH) supplies, including condoms, other contraceptives, and reproductive health commodities in the country, as well as a review of the market segments. Building on previous work in TMA for RH and other products, the totality of the goods and services market will be assessed to determine which products can be promoted using the total market approach and which segments of the population to promote these products to. In addition, a review of the product registration, segmented branding, sources of supply and channels of import and in-country distribution for the three market segments will be investigated.
The Country Office, in collaboration with the Direction de la “Pharmacie du medicament et des Laboratoires “(DPML) and “Direction de la Santé Familiale “(DSF) is hiring an individual consultant to work under the technical supervision of the UNFPA RH/FP focal point, with overall guidance from the UNFPA Deputy Representative. The UNFPA country office Representative will have administrative control of the respective consultancy work. Most of the work will be done through literature reviews, questionnaires administered to country office, stakeholders, and telephone interviews.
Applying for this consultancy
Applications (in French or English) must bear the title of the consultancy and be sent by email to consultantcmr@unfpa.org no later than September 13, 2022. The email must be complete and contain a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, the United Nations P11 form, copies of diplomas and certificates. All files should be sent as a single attachment (PDF format only).
NB: For more details of the terms of reference of this consultancy, please see the attached document.
