Virtual learning and user-generated content are changing the way that managers and service providers in the health field interact and learn from each other.

For the past five years the Global Exchange Network (GEN) for Reproductive Health of MSH has been helping health professionals share experiences, ask questions, and learn how other countries are addressing similar challenges in the area of family planning and reproductive health, especially for countries that no longer receive or are soon to no longer receive USAID Population and Reproductive Health assistance.

From 2005 to 2007, GEN has hosted six online forums on topics related to management and leadership challenges faced by reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) organizations and programs. Over 1,300 health professionals from more than 55 countries have participated to date.

Click here for more information on how the Global Exchange Network was formed and operates.

In May 2007, GEN held a forum on Community Based Distribution (CBD) of Injectable Contraceptives. The forum was hosted jointly by MSH and Family Health International (FHI). The forum proved to be an ideal opportunity for program managers, policy makers, service providers and other health professionals around the world to share experiences and receive guidance on incorporating injectables into existing community based distribution programs. “We are yet to commence CBD Injectable programs in Nigeria but I have learned a lot from the case studies and have no doubt the lessons will come in handy when we begin our programs,” wrote a GEN participant from Nigeria.

As a result of interest gained during the forum, FHI has been able to further its research agenda for CBD of injectable contraceptives in the following ways:

• Potential CBD programs in Nigeria: FHI has initiated activities to promote the introduction of Depo-provera (DMPA) provision by community-based distributors among policy-makers and community health programs in Nigeria, stemming from follow-up action they took after Nigerian officials expressed interest in establishing a CBD of injectable contraceptives program. In February, 2008 Nigerian officials participated in a study tour of the Uganda FHI/Save the Children program. Future activities will include convening national stakeholders meeting, and supporting a local champion who will promote and educate others about safe delivery of DMPA in CBD programs.
• CBD Implementation Handbook. Forum discussions informed FHI’s development of an implementation handbook which will map out the steps necessary to add the provision of injectable contraceptives into existing CBD programs.

In September 2007, teams from the LMS Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP) on Contraceptive Security from Paraguay, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and El Salvador participated in a follow-up forum hosted by GEN. During this event, the teams received additional support, coaching and motivation to continue working on their Contraceptive Security challenge.

In December 2007, The JSI DELIVER project and the Constella Futures HPI project jointly developed and published the paper “Options for Contraceptive Procurement: Lessons Learned from Latin America and the Caribbean.” The paper includes pricing information for the procurement of contraceptives and the procurement processes and environment in nine countries. The paper is available in Spanish and is available online, but it was determined that a virtual forum highlighting this paper would be an effective way of disseminating this important and time-sensitive information. The objective of the virtual forum was to disseminate the paper to participants, go over the paper’s content, and generate online discussions on its content. 133 people from 23 countries participated in the forum that was delivered in Spanish.

GEN forums take advantage of existing expertise and experiences in developing countries, especially in countries that no longer receive population funding from USAID. For example, during the series of three forums on Financial Sustainability held in 2006, participants from FP organizations in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua featured their experiences in addressing the challenge of achieving financial sustainability of their FP/RH programs through case studies, programmatic documents, discussion and exchanges.

GEN is in the planning stages for three more events in 2008:

• Two multi-lingual forums for reproductive health professionals will focus on contraceptive security and access to RH/FP services for underserved populations
• One forum hosted jointly by MSH, FHI, and EngenderHealth will address Long Acting and Permanent Methods of contraception.