AccessRH is a UNFPA-managed reproductive health procurement and information service that aims to improve access to quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health (RH) commodities and reduce delivery times for low- and middle-income country government and non-governmental organization (NGO) clients. AccessRH also offers accurate, up-to-date information on contraceptive orders and shipments for more than 140 countries through a website that is unique in the field.
Access contraceptive order and shipment data
To ensure reliable management of contraceptive supplies, information needs to be shared among decision makers across supply chain functions (i.e., forecasting, financing, procurement, manufacturing, customs clearance, warehouses). A key feature of AccessRH is its internet portal, which incorporates the RHInterchange , the first and only site to provide continuously-updated data on global contraceptive orders and shipments. AccessRH enables ministries of health, NGOs, technical assistance providers, advocacy groups, manufacturers, and donors to access critical information for decision making on contraceptive orders and actual monitoring of current shipments.
AccessRH at work
Maximize reproductive health resources
In addition to enabling monitoring of contraceptive orders, AccessRH equips countries with other tools to realize their reproductive health objectives and help maximize limited staff and financial resources. Through its catalog, AccessRH allows clients to order multiple products from a variety of manufacturers at prices negotiated up-front by UNFPA for delivery around the world. National governments, NGOs, and others that purchase for the public sector will benefit from the volume pricing and quality assurance that comes with products purchased from UNFPA pre-qualified manufacturers.
Read more on UNFPA's quality assurance.
See UNPFA's pre-qualified suppliers.
Order items from stock for faster delivery
The AccessRH concept is based on a managed inventory of standard RH products held on UNFPA's behalf by manufacturers. This approach helps countries prevent stockouts of critical RH supplies by mitigating lengthy production lead times for certain commodities. AccessRH began maintaining an inventory of condoms in early 2011, and has reduced lead times for condom orders by an average of 10 weeks. Stocks of other key items will be added in the near future, during which time AccessRH Catalog items will continue to be available for orders from production.
A collaborative effort
AccessRH was conceived by the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, through a cooperative endeavor among reproductive health stakeholders from around the world, to meet challenges inherent in the RH supply chain. After in-depth research and development of the initiative, UNFPA was asked to implement AccessRH. AccessRH's goals align closely with those of Millennium Development Goal 5, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health.
AccessRH is supported by the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition and the financial backing and active engagement of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and in-kind support from USAID.
About UNFPA
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
For more than 30 years, UNFPA's Procurement Services Branch has been procuring contraceptives and reproductive health-related goods for the developing world. Through its extensive experience and solid track record, UNFPA is today the largest public sector procurer of these items. UNFPA procurement totalled $285,355,416 USD in 2010, of which over $130m was reproductive health related. See more UNFPA procurement statistics. UNFPA's Procurement Services Branch has been ISO 9001 certified since 2007.
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AccessRH Mission
Improve access to quality, affordable reproductive health commodities and enhance delivery performance for low- and middle-income public sector and NGO clients; and increase information sharing and supply chain visibility for all reproductive health stakeholders.
AccessRH Vision
Offer enhanced reproductive health procurement and information management services that meet changing client needs, and advance commodity security so that individuals around the world can access the reproductive health commodities they need in a timely and cost-effective manner.