Using the tool shifted our conversations. We moved from talking theoretically about what would happen if the supply of a given family planning method changed to looking at projections based on data. Now, our conversations were grounded in actual numbers. Using the tool’s built-in visualizations provided a clear and simple way to communicate the results.
Working with government stakeholders, we wanted to model market situations based on anticipated changes in user source patterns and demand patterns. Using the Family Planning Market Analyzer to study the 2017 market in Tanzania, we were able to see what might happen if the private sector faced an imminent shortage of injectables, the most popular family planning method in the country.
This situation arose from the history of Tanzania’s private injectables market, which for a very long time was dependent on a single socially marketed brand. Due to reduced support for subsidies, the supply of this socially marketed brand was declining. We knew that this would result in a shift in sourcing for the one in three injectable users who obtained their method from the private sector.
To spur action, we demonstrated what would happen if these clients shifted to the public sector.