Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) is defined as having a secure supply and choice of quality contraceptives and other reproductive health commodities to meet every person’s needs at the right time and in the right place. RHCS is achieved when all individuals can choose, obtain and use affordable and quality reproductive health commodities whenever they need them.
RHCS means improved access to and greater choice of quality contraceptives for individuals who wish to space or prevent pregnancies. It means improved availability of essential reproductive health drugs and supplies to ensure safe motherhood, to manage emergencies during child birth, to treat sexually transmitted infections, and to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Achieving RHCS is critical for improving maternal health. Obstetric drugs and drugs for effective treatments of STIs are critical for safe motherhood and improving women’s health. Contraceptive security also contributes to reduction of maternal mortality. It is estimated that by preventing unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions, family planning commodities can reduce maternal mortality by 20-32% or save 100,000 women’s lives each year.
Increasing understanding of national and local governments in Eastern Europe about the RHCS strategic elements and mechanism on achieving commodity security is a critical task for technical agencies, advocacy organizations, NGOs, donors and Governments themselves. There are successes in RHCS and lessons learned that governments and other stakeholders can draw upon to address their own commodity security challenges.
This three-day workshop on advocacy for RHCS will be conducted by the UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (EECARO) in collaboration with the UNFPA Technical Division and the European Parliamentarian Forum.
The workshop will be attended by 45 delegates from fifteen countries of Eastern Europe and Caucasus. The participants will include representatives from national counterparts on RHCS such as parliamentarians, MOH senior management officials, media professionals and the UNFPA Country Office staff.
The workshop objectives include:
- To increase understanding about the Reproductive Health Commodity Security impact on achieving MDGs and improving women’s health;
- To strengthen the regional capacity in effective advocacy for RHCS;
- To strengthen RHCS networks for cooperation
The workshop expected results are:
- Improved understanding of the RHCS key elements and the impact on country social economic development;
- Eastern European RHCS advocacy framework;
- RHCS European network.
After the workshop the participated national counterparts are expected, with the support of the UNFPA Country Office, to develop and implement country RHCS advocacy plans that will be based on the European RHCS advocacy framework.
