Transcript Abebe Shibru, MSI Ethiopia

Implementing e-Vouchers to
improve the utilization of FP
services:
Marie Stopes International Ethiopia
BlueStar Program
Authors: Andinet Bayissa, Abebe Shibru
October 2014
Cebu
Background & Overview
•
Contraceptive
prevalence
among married women: 42%.
(EDHS, 2014)
•
Women of reproductive age
group constitute 23.4% of the
total population
•
Total Fertility rate: 4.1
(EDHS,
2014)
•
Unmet need for Family
planning: 25% (EDHS, 2011)
Private Health Sector in Ethiopia

More than 5,100 private health
facilities in Ethiopia



Public sector is a major source of
contraception [82%] while private
sector is only 13.4%
The Private health Sector
contribution for family planning
service is not more than 13%.
44% of National Health Expenditure
(NHE) is from the Private Health
Sector.
Aim of the MSIE eVocuher:

Removing economic barrier of
poor women for FP service
through implementing evouchers in BlueStar program

To take advantage of the rapid
growth of mobile phone
ownership among the rural
community to increase the
efficiency and scalability of
voucher programmes.
Methods

Launched in 25 sites in the BlueStar network, these
sites are located in 25 rural & semi-urban parts of the
country.

It was designed to increase the uptake of IUD, which is
the least utilized method in Ethiopia, particularly
among youth, who have the highest unmet need for
family planning.

Smart phones is used to issue vouchers, while short
message service (SMS) is used by the provider to
validate and redeem the eVouchers.

Data routinely collected: Distribution & redemption of
voucher, profile of clients, FP service data the voucher
redeemed for.
Findings & Results

In the first eight weeks of implementation 1,378
e-vouchers issued to beneficiaries.

77% users were between the ages of 15-29; and
the redemption rate was 48%.

The majority clients received IUCD with 44%
uptake rate followed by 28% implant and 21%
injectable

The average IUD insertion by the BlueStar clinics
before the launch of eVouchers was 5 per month.
After the launch of the E-voucher the insertion of
IUD increased into 97 per month.
Show case: redemptions trend b/n MSIE
Clinics & BS clinics eVoucher
Challenges encountered & action
taken




Low redemptions by some of the
BlueStar Clinics.
No reporting of malfunction or system
problem
Misuse of phone by CHWs resulting in
changes in settings or deletion of
eVoucher application
Frequent system interruption due to
network failure
Lessons & importance of the
findings
e-Voucher can have an impact on
increasing the unutilized FP services such
as IUCD in BlueStar clinics, especially
among youth groups.
Way forward

Scaling up the implementation of
eVoucher in 100 BlueStar clinics
after evaluating the first phase of
implementation

Sharing the experience to local
partners to replicate the system for
other applicable health programs
in the country
Thank You !