Mongolia
A population of just 3 million people, thinly dispersed over a vast land mass, combined with a nomadic population, provides a unique and challenging backdrop.
Since 1997, Marie Stopes International Mongolia (MSIM) has been providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare, services and education to the people of Mongolia.
In 2008 the milestones for the program in Mongolia were:
> The successful implementation of medical abortion into client services
> Supplying the Mongolian people with 70% of their condom usage
MSIM has 50% market share of the total country’s contraceptives. The suite of products socially marketed by MSIM includes male and female condoms as well as, emergency contraception and the oral contraceptive pill. These products are sold under a variety of brand names with TRUST being the most widely known brand. TRUST Condoms are distributed in markets, small shops and pharmacies all over the country.
Education sessions in schools are an important way of raising awareness about condoms, and importantly, changing usage behaviours. An 18 year old student who attended one such session stated that: “Teachers were talking about abstinence until 18 years old, but there were many young girls and boys who were already having sex. The MSIM education session was the first time I heard about the female condom.”
The team also uses modern marketing techniques to raise awareness of, and demand for, their products. In 2008 after a television advertising campaign for TRUST, condom sales increased nearly 30% in a month. This contributed to an outstanding year of growth in which more than 3.2 million condoms were distributed by the team – an increase of 400,000 on the previous year. MSIM supplied 70% of Mongolia’s condoms in 2008 alone.
The MSIM team has also been a partner in the Safe Abortion Action Fund project. Medical abortion is a method that is safe, effective and a good choice for women seeking a less invasive procedure than surgical abortion. By educating Mongolian women about the availability of medical abortion within the MSIM team, local government and relevant stakeholders, access to medical abortion services has been expanded and quality of care has been greatly improved. In fact, in 2008, 60% of all abortions provided by MSIM were medical. In Mongolia, the introduction of medical abortion services means more choices for women.
Looking Forward
Marie Stopes International Mongolia will continue to increase market share as the leading provider of condoms and contraceptive brands.