The Coalition's Strategic Plan explicitly acknowledges the right of individuals to choose the supplies they need to satisfy their evolving reproductive health needs. This principle of choice commits the Coalition to address reproductive health options and to support the research needed to fill diagnostic, drug, and contraceptive methods gaps. The Caucus on New and Underused Reproductive Health Technologies was established with this commitment in mind. It is a community of practice whose membership cuts across all three of the Coalition's Working Groups.

The purposes of the Caucus are:

• To broaden the discussion within the Coalition of reproductive health technologies that meet users' needs, but are not well integrated into the public or commercial sector.
• To support efforts within the Coalition's three Working Groups that relate to new and underused reproductive health supplies.
• Through the above, to contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 5, by supporting efforts to increase universal access to and use of reproductive health services and products.

The Caucus is currently engaged in the following workstreams:

• Develop and disseminate peer reviewed technical briefs on selected reproductive health technologies
• Identify new technologies for inclusion in the Coalition’s work
• Develop tools for forecasting the demand for selected new and underused methods
• Ensure coherence between the work of the Coalition and the WHO with regards to new and underused reproductive health technologies
• Share guidance on introduction strategies for new and underused methods, including best practices and challenges

Jane Hutchings
Director of Reproductive Health Program, PATH
PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
Email: jh(at)path.org

John Townsend
Director, Population Council
New York, NY, USA
Email: jtownsend(at)popcouncil.org