Abstract
PATH is enhancing equitable and sustained access to family planning by strengthening country-led, public sector decision-making within a total market context. A whole or total market approach has been defined as “a coordinated approach that responds to the multiplicity of family planning needs in a country…[and] ensures that the entire market of clients—from those who require free supplies to those who can and will pay for commercial products—is covered.” PATH has worked with governments in Nicaragua and Vietnam to develop operational plans for public-sector contraceptive services to targeted market segments. PATH also strengthens public-private dialogue around family planning service delivery—including for the poorest populations—and collaborates actively with private-sector initiatives. Lessons learned are disseminated to promote widespread readiness for a country-led decision-making approach that draws on the total family planning market.
