Take Stock defines its new language and builds the evidence base on stockouts

The measurement of stockouts is passing a historic milestone with the introduction of a new resource — the Coalition’s recent publication of “A Harmonized Suite of Indicators to Measure Stockouts and Availability of Contraceptives”. The culmination of a more than two-year collective effort by members of the Systems Strengthening Working Group, this guidance document defines indicators which will encourage measurement of stockouts using broadly comparable metrics, the backbone of the Take Stock campaign dedicated to make contraceptive stockouts a thing of the past. All Coalition members are urged to join Take Stock and to adopt these indicators into their operations. 
 
Meanwhile, the Coalition worked with Take Stock sub-grantee Christian Connections for International Health to build the evidence base by completing a research project on stockouts in faith-based organization (FBO) health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. This research defines a typology and classification system for FBO health facility supply chains. This ground-breaking study is intended to fill a critical gap in our knowledge of an often overlooked but substantial part of the health systems in this region of the world.

Category: Systems Strengthening Working Group