UNFPA Supplies Partnership Programme Regional Meeting ends in Senegal

The United Nations Population Fund West and Central Africa Regional Office, in partnership with the UNFPA Commodity Security Branch, Technical Division and with support from the Gates Institute on 31 March, 2023 concluded a four day Supplies Partnership Programme Regional Meeting which among others, discussed multiple programme areas and agreed on critical actions to build on coordination and oversight for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership programme.

The UNFPA Supplies Partnership programme is the third phase of the agency’s flagship thematic trust fund for delivering on family planning and which will serve as a platform for implementing the UNFPA Family Planning Strategy 2022-2030 and for achieving the three transformative results of ending unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.

The Supplies Partnership is designed to achieve four strategic objectives i) increase availability of quality-assured reproductive health commodities; ii) ensure supplies for reproductive health commodities reach the last mile and promote harmonization and integration of supply systems in countries; iii) countries to increase and diversify
financial and programmatic contributions and prioritize reproductive health as a core element of sustainable development; and, iv) improved programme management with shared accountability for results. Twenty (20) out of 54 countries that are supported through this programme are in the West and Central Africa Region.

The four-day regional meeting focused on taking stock of 2022 successes, challenges and opportunities as well as exchanging possible ways of improving and adapting different project management tools and approaches. The meeting also explored ways to co-create and enhance capacity for forecasting, procurement planning and supply chain system strengthening, taking into different recommendations from audits and Last Mile Assurance (LMA) processes. The last day was dedicated to hands-on training on the SMART advocacy approach under the facilitation of the Gates Institute.

The meeting was attended by 52 participants from different UNFPA business units namely UNFPA Supply Partnership Programme senior management team, subject matter experts from the Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU), Deputy and Assistant Representatives and RHCS focal points from the 20 UNFPA Supplies programme implementing countries in the region, and relevant Regional Advisers and Specialists from the Regional Office.

About UNFPA: UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services.