Agency To Promote Birth Control In India For DIMPA Network
The DiMPA Network, a group of private OB/GYNs and general practitioners trained to provide quality family planning services in in 45 cities of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand is seeking a crisis management and media tracking PR firm for an initial period of January 2016– September 2016.
The project focuses on providing the Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) 3-month injectable contraceptive and is co-funded by Gates Foundation and Packard Foundation. The project aims to improve the choices for women in these states to plan the number and timing of their children by increasing knowledge of, access to and use of an expanded basket of contraceptives including injectable contraceptives. In India, DMPA has a history of controversies. It has been opposed by women’s groups largely based on three arguments:
- Concern about adverse health consequences
- Lack of credibility of post marketing surveillance of Depo Provera
- Feasibility of ensuring quality in service delivery to counsel & manage side-effects and follow-up
Till Aug ‘15, the Government of India had not included DMPA in the Ministry of Health Family Planning basket of products. During its meeting in July/Aug ’15, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) agreed to the introduction of the injectable contraceptive DMPA in the public health system under the National Family Planning Program. The Govt. is currently working on the details of the introduction of DMPA in the public health system. Given the history of DMPA in India, it is important for Abt to have an agency in place, which will monitor what is happening in media, on DMPA in particular and Family Planning in general, and also help Abt to handle any crisis on DMPA.
The scope of this assignment includes to track all media discussing DMPA & Family planning in India, and handle applicable crisis communications tasks.
The company has a budget of $15-$20K monthly and proposals are due by November 25, 2015 to rfpresponse@abtindia.net.
