OBJECTIVE
To increase the availability and use of modern contraceptive methods.

BACKGROUND
The Social Marketing of Contraceptive Project was launched in January 1986 by the Government of Pakistan and the USAID with technical assistance from the PSI. When USAID began withdrawing financial assistance in 1991, PSI founded Social Marketing Pakistan (SMP), a local non-profit organisation designed to ensure institutional sustainability of social marketing activities in Pakistan.

The project is now funded by the German Government through the German Government Development Bank, the Kreditanstait Fur Wiederanfban (KfW). PSI continues to provide consultancy services to the Government, KfW, and SMP.

SCOPE
The focus of the project is on the marketing of condoms widely and cheaply while providing relevant and correct information on family planning (FP) to men.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
The PSI/SMP designed national FP campaigns targeting men due to the overriding dominance of men as decision-makers and restrictions on women’s movements outside their homes in Pakistan.

Its Condom Social Marketing messages and educational campaigns are tailored to appeal to men and address their resistance points.

The PSI/SMP strives to improve the status of women and promote inter-spousal communication campaigns.

The PSI/SMP is also engaged in intensive efforts to train female medical practitioners and also thousands of male doctors and pharmacists, since research indicated that men are likely to seek other men for information on FP.

MANAGEMENT FEATURES

Strategy

• Provides intensive training of service providers in order to ensure quality of care.

• Conduct evaluative researches which assist in monitoring progress towards project objectives and measuring the project’s impact on Pakistan’s population programme.
• Developed a logo as a unifying symbol for SMP-supplied contraceptives.
• Uses reinforcing messages and a multi-media approach in awareness campaigns.
• It sub-contracts as many activities as possible in order to harness private sector resources already available in Pakistan.
• Training and skills transfer from PSI to SMP and from PSI/SMP to commercial sector partners and sub-contractors help ensure that social marketing is institutionalised in Pakistan.

Capacity-Building

Doctors, pharmacists and health providers play a critical role in educating clients in the decision to use modern contraceptives.
Links with other

Mobilising Resources

• Communication campaigns
• Doctors

Managerial Leadership

• Facilitate training of service providers to ensure quality services.
• Ensure institutional sustainability of social marketing in Pakistan.
• Design, supervise and evaluate project activities.

EVALUATION FINDINGS

• Pakistan has the highest total fertility rate among the ten most populous countries and only 12% of women use contraceptives in a country with over 130 million people.
• Failure to address men’s concerns, beliefs and practices will relegate Pakistan and its women to continued high birth rates and unnecessary maternal and child deaths.
• The widespread social marketing of condoms in Pakistan has been useful in exposing men to modern methods of avoiding unwanted pregnancies.