WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Despite overwhelmed global healthcare systems, DKT International, one of the largest providers of family planning products and services in the developing world, delivered 48.6 million couple years of protection (CYPs) in 2020 to women and couples that needed it most during one of the most challenging years for global health yet. As the pandemic continues to exacerbate health access inequalities, especially for women in developing countries, refugee and humanitarian crises, and remote settings, DKT ensures that women can access a wide range of quality contraceptive options and safe abortion products to remain in control of their reproductive health and future.
“DKT is committed to closing the gender equity gap through the provision of safe and effective contraception, whether women stayed home or changed their health-seeking behavior, we reached out to them with information, new services, and technology,” says Chris Purdy, CEO of DKT International. “We not only get contraception into the hands of those who need it most, but also implement it into their lives to create enduring use through our enhanced classic social marketing model; regional programs distributing products across areas with common cultures or languages; and education and counseling about safe abortion and contraceptive via social media, e-commerce platforms, multi-lingual websites, and webinars.”
Some examples of DKT initiatives that encourage women around the world to take action for their sexual and reproductive health include:
Breaking Ground in New Markets:
- In Zambia and South Sudan, DKT had its first injectable contraception and condom sales respectively. By prioritizing women’s health in these markets, DKT is aiding an often-ignored population undergoing extended suffering from long lasting humanitarian crises, including drought and civil war. Without the requisite information and access to products, women in these refugee and humanitarian settings are unable to control the number and spacing of their children which can expose them to high-risk health situations.
- In Afghanistan, a new market and one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates, DKT is selling IUDs, implants, injectable and oral contraceptives, condoms, and emergency contraception where access to a hospital or health facility is beyond the reach of most. In a region where it is generally hard to keep shelves stocked, DKT is visiting pharmacies to ensure products are available and working with clinicians and hospitals to reach women with information and referrals for long term methods for birth control.
Educating Youths:
- In Mexico, DKT School resumed its programming for the first time since COVID-19 and is pivoting to digital conferences and informational modules in lieu of in-person classes. Helping to eradicate adolescent pregnancy, the fun and comprehensive sexual education is designed to inform young people between the ages of 15 and 25 about the importance of contraceptive methods.
- In Indonesia, DKT’s Berani Berencana (Brave to Plan), a reproductive health education platform for Indonesian youths, launched a webinar utilizing sexuality experts, Zoya Amirin and Zola Yoana. The webinar has over 110,000 total views on Facebook and YouTube. With an estimated 500,000 Indonesian female adolescents getting pregnant each year, educating youths is vital and directly addresses the connection between women’s reproductive health, care responsibilities, and the quality of work.
Training Healthcare Providers:
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, DKT recently conducted a safe abortion training in the country’s capital city, Kinshasa. Health care providers were trained on conditions for providing quality abortion care and the guidelines for counseling women and helping them make informed choices. DKT found that post-training, 99% of participants were willing to make changes in their perception and attitudes as providers of abortion services.
Since 1989, DKT International’s core mission has been to provide safe and affordable options for family planning and HIV prevention through social marketing in underserved countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
