CBOs as a Channel for Community-based Distribution of Health Products
The UNFPA representative’s statement on the occasion of handing over contraceptives to SFH Rwanda
October 6, 2014
Community Dramas Encourage Life-Saving Habits
October 9, 2014
CBOs AS A CHANNEL FOR COMMUNITY BASED DISTRIBUTION OF HEALTH PRODUCTS
Community-based distribution (CBD) programs are the optimum way of reaching people in rural areas where conventional methods of delivery do not exist or fail.
Christine Nzamukwereka, an Executive Member of KOUBR cooperative explaining how their distribution network operates and the strategy used in order to realize increased sales.
“Access to health products, Community-Based Organizations helping to bridge the gap”
Community-Based Distribution (CBD) programs were initiated in an attempt to bring health products to underserved populations in primarily rural areas of Rwanda. Many rural villages lacked access to health products like Sur Eau, P&G and condoms provided by SFH, which are mainly distributed by wholesalers, semi wholesalers and retailers who are typically located in cities, towns and trading centers.
It’s against this background that SFH has been sensitizing the existing CBOs that have partnership with SFH to help bridge this existing gap and a number of them have responded positively to this call.
KOPERATIVE UBUZIMA BWIZA RURENGE (KOUBR) of Rukomo Sector in Nyagatare District is one of these CBOs doing CBD, in March 2014 they bought 1 carton of Sur eau for distribution, after they had sold off this carton they bought another 5 cartons in April and later in May 2014 they bought another 21 cartons of Sur eau and the significant increase is due to the advantages seen in this activity.
CBOs use distribution networks of Community Health Workers who are presented in every village/umudugudu of Rwanda who are given 2 dozen bottles of sur’eau for sale in their villages and are required to make justification of the sales within one week so that they are given other products and as for the CHWs who are given 50% of the profit and the other 50% profit goes to the CBO.
Christine Nzamukwereka, a member in the Executive Committee in charge of finance observes that “50% of the profit retained by the CHWs is used as a motivation catalyst and encourages them to participate actively in the distribution of Sur’eau and that’s why we have been buying more and more Sur Eau from SFH”
KOUBR is committed to continue the distribution of Sur Eau and more especially other products which they are yet to start distributing like P&G, Prudence and Plaisir.
