Social health marketing with Population Services International

Roughly half the world's population lacks reliable access to essential health services. Often the product exists and is affordable in principle, but there is no shop that stocks it, no trained person to explain it and no reason to trust it. This program treats that as a distribution problem and applies commercial techniques to solving it.

The approach borrows from business without the profit motive: consumer research to understand what people will actually use, marketing to build demand and trust, and franchise networks of small local providers who sell subsidized products at prices households can meet. Because the providers are local businesses, the network supports itself and creates work rather than depending on a permanent outside presence.

Gifts support several strands at once. Outreach that reaches women and girls with sexual and reproductive health information and contraceptive counselling. Training for health extension workers, so advice at the point of sale is sound. Behaviour change campaigns for practices like handwashing and self-testing. And distribution of products including insecticide-treated nets and HIV self-test kits, which let people learn their status privately, when and where they choose.

The network runs in more than 40 countries and is operated by Population Services International.

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