Carolyn Hart
Transforming Reproductive health, one supply chain at a time
Carolyn Hart’s infectious passion and dedication have created lasting change in the field of reproductive health commodities. She is credited with having coined the phrase “contraceptive security”—modeled on the notion of “food security”—as she worked to gain attention and resources for reproductive health commodities. She has spent her career raising the profile of logistics management, promoting the importance of the supply chain, improving health systems and strengthening communities around the globe. And she is thrilled when people truly “get it”—when they understand the how and why of logistics.
It was essential to educate everyone—inside and outside the RH field—about logistics functions, activities, and impact.
Carolyn Hart began working for JSI’s family planning logistics program in the 1990s. Back then, the reproductive health supply chain was undernoticed and underappreciated. It was essential to educate everyone-inside and outside the RH field-about logistics functions, activities, and impact. Carolyn helped drive a paradigm shift that would see supply chain strengthening become a top priority in health and development planning.
Carolyn values the work of the Coalition and its partners because, like a supply chain, each link plays a vital role in creating social change. Since lack of access is often less about logistics and more about social constraints, Carolyn’s core belief is that our work is fundamentally about achieving social change. The supply chain creates product availability, but social change creates full access. And we must keenly focus on both to make a real difference.
The availability of safe, affordable supplies that meet men’s and women’s RH needs. Supply availability is possible only when products feed into the supply chain and make their way to the point-of-distribution, where women and men can access them.
Who’s Holding up Our Pillars?
This story is part of “Who's Holding up Our Pillars?”, a Coalition effort to invite our heroes working in supply chains to tell their stories. Read their stories and see who they contribute to our vital, everyday work.