Future Injectable Market Steward

Overview

Future Injectable Market Steward

Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) is a highly effective, long-acting form of hormonal contraception which can be administered through either intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) methods. Administered every 12 weeks, DMPA can be provider administered (PA) by a trained healthcare worker or self-injected (SI) subcutaneously by the user.

As a self-injectable contraceptive product, DMPA-SC (SI) empowers users by offering greater control over their reproductive health, thereby reducing dependency on healthcare providers and alleviating pressure on health care systems. DMPA-SC (SI) is packaged in a prefilled, all-in-one injection system and offers a convenient, discreet, and effective method of family planning. Robust research has proven that women can successfully self-inject after training, can accurately recall for subsequent doses, and that self-injection increases continuation rates. Every month, hundreds of thousands of DMPA-SC users opt for self-injection.

The Injectables Access Collaborative (AC) project (led by PATH), has supported over 60 countries in introducing and scaling up DMPA-SC and self-injection through technical assistance and market insights. To date, there are 59 countries with DMPA-SC and self-injection regulatory approval and 20 sub-Saharan African countries have DMPA-SC on their respective national essential medicine lists. There have been 5.3 million DMPA-SC visits recorded over the past year (Q2 2023-Q1 2024) among 14 countries with data reporting (including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia). Among DMPA-SC visits in these countries, 22% were for self-injection. The AC has driven market growth by integrating DMPA-SC into policies, regulatory frameworks, and health information systems, fostering demand generation, and addressing supply chain challenges to expand contraceptive access and choice globally.

The global rollout of DMPA-SC and SI remains at a critical phase for coordination and market shaping and we believe this is an opportune time to build on our momentum and to continue to scale DMPA-SC and SI across the entire health system. As the AC project concludes in late 2025, the Gates Foundation (GF) and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) seek to fund the next evolution of this work with a new award to establish and galvanize the Future Injectable Market Steward (FIMS) for injectable contraceptives.

INTRODUCING: FUTURE INJECTABLE MARKET STEWARD (FIMS)

With inputs and consensus from the Injectables Strategic Advisory Group (I-SAG; whose membership includes donors, representatives from country ministries, USAID, UNFPA, key partners, and other lead market actors), the FIMS was developed. The primary role of the FIMS will be to lead the global contraceptive injectables market and advance the 2030 strategic vision for DMPA-SC which states:

Quality-assured product is consistently available, affordable, and accessible for women via their preferred channels (including in the private sector) and via their preferred method of administration, in the context of informed choice.

Responding to evolving market needs, FIMS will oversee all DMPA injectable contraceptive products including all administrative methods (subcutaneous, self-injection, provider administered, and intramuscular), near-term generic options that are entering the market, and future injectable products in the pipeline. A key goal for FIMS is to catalyze a sustainable market for DMPA-SC (SI) with full independence by 2030, at which point the goal will be to reach a market of over 100 million units annually (up from the current allocation of 34 million units per year in 2024), with self-injection as a routine option.

The primary functions of the FIMS will include:

* Market Intelligence, landscaping, and strategy development to achieve the vision for a healthy injectables market by 2030 \[high priority\].
* Establishment and maintenance of a supportive in-country enabling environment for introduction and scale, including advocacy, policy, regulation, and service delivery \[high priority\].
* FP commodity planning, forecasting, and quantification to support a robust supply chain \[high priority\]
* Demand generation to increase awareness of and support for new products \[medium-low priority\]
* Research, learning, and dissemination of best practices to build evidence and inform action \[medium priority\]

CORE CAPABILITIES

A sufficient application will showcase an organization and/or partner consortium model where relevant previous experience, deep sector knowledge, a clear and aligned strategic approach, and CVs of team members (where available) are evident and clear. Beyond the illustrative competencies listed above for each of the core functions for FIMS, the following criteria represent other required core capabilities:

Geographic Focus & Market Stewardship: Ability to deliver results in priority geographies and manage multi-country market stewardship for contraceptive products.

Data Analysis & Strategic Recommendations: Strong data analysis skills to synthesize complex information and drive actionable recommendations, utilizing advanced data science methodologies.

Market Shaping & Product Introduction: Expertise in market stewardship, product introduction, and shaping approaches across the value chain, particularly for SRH or related products.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Proven ability to convene and collaborate effectively, including with Ministries of Health, procurers, agencies, and other key stakeholders; experience with accessing and utilizing HMIS/commodity data.

Supply Chain Management: Significant experience addressing and overcoming supply chain challenges, both within countries and with upstream partners.

Private Sector & Sustainability Engagement: Experience working with private sector and social marketing channels to drive long-term sustainability.

Adaptability & Problem-Solving: Open-minded, proactive, and solution-oriented approach to quickly adapt and respond to a rapidly changing landscape.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* To ensure a positive impact for the intended beneficiaries, the foundation requires that all projects and outputs be managed to ensure Global Access. “Global Access” is a foundation policy requiring that:
* the knowledge and information gained from the project be promptly and broadly disseminated; and
* the Funded Developments be made available and accessible at an affordable price
* to people most in need within developing countries, or
* in support of the U.S. educational system and public libraries, as applicable to the project.
* The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to information sharing and transparency.
* We believe that research resulting from our funding should be promptly and broadly disseminated.
* We have adopted an Open Access policy that enables the unrestricted access and reuse of research funded, in whole or in part, by the foundation, including any underlying data sets.