Effective long-acting reversible contraceptive launched in Nigeria to expand choices

NIGERIA – The highly effective levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) Avibela has been rolled out by non-profit organization Medicines360 in Nigeria to expand contraceptive options for women and young girls.

Medicines360 is the first nonprofit pharmaceutical company focused on Women’s Health globally with a mission to accelerate equitable access to medicines and devices for women everywhere.

The entity makes its hormonal IUD available to non-profit government organizations through its subsidiary Impact RH360 and works together with them to support registration, provider training and product launch.

The introduction of Medicines360’s hormonal intrauterine device in Nigeria will help fill the gaps for women who experience barriers to affordable and effective contraception across the country.

It will also provide young girls and women more choices in their reproductive health decisions at a time when the need for modern contraception is more important than ever.

Nigerian Society for Family Health (SFH) and Population Services International (PSI) have entered into a strategic partnership with Medicines360 to increase access to a high quality and cost-effective hormonal IUD.

The partnership comes in the wake of increased demand for contraceptives among sexually active women in the country.

The collaboration seeks to address challenges in reproductive health in Nigeria where only 12% of married women of reproductive age currently use a modern method of contraception while 19% of married women have an unmet need for contraception.

It will offer critical on-the-ground services including product awareness, provider training, quality assurance and local capacity building activities to ensure sustainable access to the hormonal IUD.

Under the partnership, SFH will distribute the hormonal intrauterine device through their social franchise network as well as offer provider training and supportive supervision.

Society for Family Health will also build consumer awareness for Avibela together with a full range of method options through community health workers and local media.

Additionally, Medicines360 will supply its hormonal intrauterine devices as well as offer clinical training resources and technical assistance to SFH when needed through its subsidiary Impact RH360.

The availability of more contraceptive products contributes to a more robust family planning market for consumers making the market less vulnerable to disruptions such as stockouts that can occur due to reliance on a single supplier

Earlier, Medicines360 rolled out the Avibela Project in three other African countries namely Madagascar, Zambia and Kenya.

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