Summary

Program goals

The goal of the program is to widen access to safe abortion services while using existing providers to give quality sexual and reproductive health services to clients by strategically selects shops located in underserved areas in an attempt to reach people who otherwise would not have access to FP counseling, commodities, and services.

Key program components

All of BlueStar’s clients pay out of pocket for services, and the majority are women. Chemical shops are frequently the first stop for Ghanaians looking for basic health provisions. The shops’ FP commodities generally include condoms, oral contraceptives, and emergency contraception (EC).

BlueStar supports franchisees with branding, training, community demand creation events, and clinical and marketing technical assistance. It also provides free supplies for medical and clinical abortions and post-abortion care, including manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) equipment. In exchange for these benefits, franchisees agree to routine supervision, submission of monthly reports, adherence to specified quality standards, and an annual franchise fee of US$70 for clinics, $50 for pharmacies, and $30 for chemical shops. For most chemical sellers and pharmacists, FP commodities represent a very small portion of their business and income. BlueStar, however, makes this segment more compelling, with a goal of raising it from 3 – 7% of sales to 10 – 15%.