Safe Abortion Supplies workstream
Within the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC), we see the prevention of pregnancy, the termination of pregnancy, and the delivery of a newborn as critical life events shaping the reproductive health and well-being of any woman. But the safe and effective outcome of all these events hinges on the availability, choice, and affordability of quality-assured supplies.
The Safe Abortion Supplies (SAS) workstream is dedicated to increasing access to, and awareness of, high quality safe abortion supplies including mifepristone, misoprostol, manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), and combipacks. With key stakeholders and dedicated partners, this group is working to share relevant information and implement collective actions to achieve this goal.
The Secretariat support for this workstream is funded by FCDO, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, an anonymous donor, and others.
Publications
- Excel Tool: Example of National Quantification Tool for Safe Abortion Supplies
- Market Assessment for Medical Abortion Drugs in Argentina
- Lessons learned: Leveraging the role of national distributors to accelerate access to medical abortion combi-packs in sub-Saharan Africa
- Cost of goods sold analysis and recommendations to reduce costs of co‑packaged mifepristone–misoprostol for medical abortion
- Registering mifepristone for indications other than first trimester abortion - A landscape analysis report
- Mifepristona y misoprostol en seis países de América Latina: procesos de registro y disponibilidad
- Mifepristone's Multiple RH Indications: An overlooked opportunity for expanding access
- Múltiples indicaciones de la mifepristona en salud reproductiva: Una oportunidad desaprovechada para ampliar el acceso
- Landscape Assessment: Leveraging the role of national distributors to increase access to MA combi-packs in Africa
- Ensuring Access to Safe Abortion Supplies: Landscaping of barriers and opportunities
Co-chairs
Andrea Fearneyhough
Director, SRH Projects
Population Services International
Washington, DC
afearneyhough@psi.org
Petra Procter
Senior Program Manager
Concept Foundation
Geneva, Switzerland
p.procter@conceptfoundation.org
Secretariat contact
Sarah Webb
Senior Technical Officer
Washington, DC, USA
Email: swebb@rhsupplies.org
The MA Combipacks Scale-Up COF is CLOSED for submission.
We are reviewing our 2025 cycle submission timelines and expect for our next COF application submission deadline to be in the Spring. Please check back in the end of February for updates.
The MA Combipacks Scale-Up COF is a pool of funds managed by the MA Combipack Market Shaping Group and supported by the RHSC Safe Abortion Supplies Workstream. The goal is to provide funding for government-led, catalytic activities that drive quality MA combipack introduction, integration and/or scale-up, in low and lower middle income countries.
Catalytic opportunities are broadly defined as activities that enable increased efficiency and/or effectiveness of product introduction and scale-up. Opportunities should demonstrate how they will lead to tangible, time-bound results for scale-up, specifically, how activities will lead to a sustainable increase in availability of quality abortion care products and services, including MA combipack. More information on types of activities can be found in the Catalytic Opportunity Fund Overview powerpoint below.
Eligibility
- Funds may only be granted to NGOs; however, government agencies can and are encouraged to be involved in implementation. Activities should utilize and build towards sustainable processes, systems, and resources to ensure that gains are sustained beyond grant timelines.
- All proposals must provide evidence of endorsement by relevant government authorities. (can be informal e.g. via an email)
- Project must be implemented in a low or lower middle income country as defined by the World Bank
Fund Parameters
- Implementing timeframes will require no more than 12 months
- Funding ceiling per application is a maximum of USD$250,000; however, there is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted per applicant
- Applicants must be able to provide audited financial statements or complete a financial assessment questionnaire if requested
Can you fund commodities?
No, these funds are intended for scale-up activities. Other commodity funding mechanisms such as the UNFPA New and Lesser Used Commodity Fund are available. Through the UNFPA Supplies programme, there is a global pool of funds called the New and Lesser Used Commodity Fund available for eligible country governments to request donated commodities for the introduction and scale-up of new and lesser-used commodities, including the MA combipacks. Interested applicants can inquire about these funds from their local UNFPA country office.
Please consult the MA Combipack COF Overview Resource and the Application Narrative for more information and FAQs. Should you have additional questions, please inquire at the COF email provided on page 12.