LIBERIA (2011): MAP STUDY EVALUATING THE AVAILABILITY OF CONDOMS, HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT PRODUCTS, ANTIMALARIALS, AND CONTRACEPTIVES 1st ROUND

PSI/Liberia was founded in 2008 to work in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to implement the Basic Package of Health Service component of the National Health Plan. Specifically, this MAP study aimed at assessing the availability of condoms, WaterGuard and other household water treatment products, oral and injectable contraceptives and malaria treatment drugs throughout the country. This information can be vital for the sales and marketing teams in prioritizing their efforts, both for the two existing PSI products and as a baseline for the distribution of two potential new health products (ACTs and oral contraceptives). Up to now, no such availability studies have been conducted in Liberia; results are thus expected to be of use to a range of key stakeholders in the public health sector of the country, particularly to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National AIDS and STI Control Program, the National Malaria Control Program, and public health NGOs.] [The MAP methodology employs the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) technique to draw a random sample of 19 enumeration areas (EAs) from each of five supervision areas (Greater Monrovia, South East, South Central, North West, North Central). This LQAS assessment of coverage determines the proportion of enumeration areas in which a product is available in each of these regions. Very low populated and inaccessible areas were excluded from the study. All outlets in the selected EAs were audited, including health facilities, pharmacies/drug stores, private clinics, medicine vendors, small shops (kiosks, business centers), street vendors, etc. For condoms, entertainment venues such as bars, night clubs and hotels were also visited. Additional information was collected on the source of supply of PSI products, reasons for not selling a particular product, interest in selling condoms/WaterGuard the products for outlets which never stocked the product. Data was collected in May 2011.