DKT’s dedicated phone hotline for family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) questions is receiving a large volume of calls from an unexpected source: clinics seeking to join DKT’s Partner Clinic network.

“We received more than 20 calls over the past three months from clinics asking how to join,” says Dagnachew Alemayehu, DKT Ethiopia’s National Key Account Manager who is also in charge of the Partner Clinic Initiative.

“This shows we are onto something.”

New Users at DKT Partner Clinics, January – September 2017

Started in 2015 as a pilot to see how DKT could catalyze growth for long-acting contraceptives through the private sector, the network is increasingly recognized as a source of quality family planning, particularly for long-term methods like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants.

The network currently includes 80 clinics with plans to have 100 total clinics by the first quarter of 2018.

While DKT initially focused on Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, the organization is expanding to regional capitals and other big towns. Currently, over half of all clinics – 50 in total – are outside of Addis Ababa.

MTH Clinic, a DKT Partner Clinic in the Kebena neighborhood of northern Addis Ababa

“Right now, we are focused on reaching big towns at the regional level,” says Dagnachew.

“Down the road, we may be able to partner with primary clinics in small and mid-size towns to reach underserved populations.”

Currently, only Medium and Gyn/Obs Clinics, as well as Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Centers, are eligible to join. In addition to contraception, Partner Clinics offer comprehensive abortion care.

Contact Dagnachew at:
dagnachew.a@dktethiopia.org