DKT Ethiopia’s foray into family planning service is meeting with success.

The organization’s Partner Clinic model, which seeks to improve FP coverage and utilization in the private sector, is a hybrid product distribution and service delivery network started in May 2015 with 5 private clinics.

Currently, the network includes 23 clinics in Addis Ababa and one each in Oromia and Tigray with plans to add 25 more by the end of 2016.

“We are in a strong growth phase,” says Dagnachew Alemayehu, National Key Account Manager and head of DKT Ethiopia’s Partner Clinic activity.

“We expect to be at 100 clinics by 2017.“

External interest

From an oversubscription at the start of the pilot, DKT Ethiopia is rapidly building a network of private sector clinics that can sustain long-term demand for IUCDs and implants as well as other reproductive health services.

“We really think this is the best of both worlds,” says Rory Harrington, DKT Ethiopia’s Country Director.

“Our model allows clinics to focus on what they do best – providing service – while DKT can focus on its strengths, namely product distribution and promotion.”

Unlike franchise or owner operator models, DKT Ethiopia’s Partner Clinic model allows DKT and constituent clinics to remain as independent entities while sustaining strong contractual and performance obligations.

All Partner Clinics provide short and long-term family planning methods, including IUCD and implants, among other services.

Next steps

A recent grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is in part responsible for DKT Ethiopia’s ongoing expansion.

“Investment by the Gates Foundation is allowing us to quickly roll this out to more Ethiopians,” says Dagnachew.

“That’s a great success.”

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To learn more about DKT Ethiopia’s Partner Clinic Model, please contact Dagnachew Alemayehu at 011 251 11 6 63 22 22 or dagnachew.a@dktethiopia.org.