Written by Medicines360
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Medicines360, WCG, and Population Services International (PSI) today announced the launch of AVIBELA (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) 52 mg in Madagascar. This is the first registration and launch of Medicines360’s hormonal intrauterine system (IUS or IUD) in Africa.
AVIBELA’s introduction in Madagascar is supported by WCG’s Expanding Effective Contraceptive Options (EECO) Project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The EECO project, led by WCG and implemented in partnership with PSI and others, was designed to support the introduction of contraceptive technologies that better meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and girls worldwide. The introduction of AVIBELA will support WCG and PSI efforts to deliver on a joint family planning commitment to expand access to an array of reproductive health products including voluntary long-acting, reversible contraceptives by 2020. PSI will market and distribute AVIBELA and train qualified health care providers to provide it in health clinics across Madagascar.
Medicines360, WCG, and PSI are all dedicated to increasing access to the full range of contraceptive options in Madagascar.
About ten women die every day in Madagascar due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth, including unsafe abortions.
While the country has seen gains in recent years, use of clinically proven family planning methods remains low, at an estimated 40 percent for married women of reproductive age (15 to 49). The introduction of AVIBELA supports the government’s goal of boosting Madagascar’s rate of contraceptive use to 50 percent.
“The majority of women with whom we speak want a product that addresses multiple issues, including heavy menstrual bleeding, spacing pregnancies, and the desire for more control over their health,” said Francia Rasoanirina, EECO Project Manager at PSI Madagascar. “AVIBELA is an attractive option because it combines pregnancy prevention with other lifestyle and health benefits that so many women want.”
“When additional long-acting reversible contraceptive options are made readily available, the use of all forms of contraception increases. Further, our business model ensures that women who choose Medicines360 products in the U.S. help other women around the world access medicines that help them live their best and fullest lives,” said Jessica Grossman, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Medicines360. “Through our partnership with WCG and Population Services International, women in Madagascar will gain increased access to our affordable and effective contraception option. We are committed to closing gaps in women’s health, and AVIBELA will help us reach a population of women facing significant barriers in accessing family planning support.”
“More than 30 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa cite method-related reasons for not using contraceptives,” said Shannon Bledsoe, Executive Director of WCG, which registered the product in Madagascar. “Through the introduction of AVIBELA, we provide the women of Madagascar with a highly-effective contraceptive option and one more choice in the basket of family planning products available to them.”