PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Akila, Dorcas AU - Akinola, Oluwasegun AU - Omotoso, Olukunle AU - Ohkubo, Saori AU - Adefila, Adewale AU - Yohanna, Philemon AU - Kalu, Nwanne Ikodiya AU - Oyeyemi, Adebusola AU - Ojelade, Olubunmi AU - Waziri, Aisha AU - Kwaknat, Winifred AU - Solanke, Olusola AU - Emonena, Bernard AU - Rotimi, Oluwafemi AU - Mwaikambo, Lisa AU - Igharo, Victor AU - Ajijola, Lekan AU - Bose, Krishna TI - Improving Contraceptive Service Quality and Accessibility for Adolescents and Youth Through Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors in Four Nigerian States AID - 10.9745/GHSP-D-22-00225 DP - 2024 May 21 TA - Global Health: Science and Practice PG - e2200225 VI - 12 IP - Supplement 2 4099 - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/12/Supplement_2/e2200225.short 4100 - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/12/Supplement_2/e2200225.full SO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT2024 May 21; 12 AB - Key FindingsProprietary patent medicine vendors (PPMVs) serve as a major source of family planning services and short-term contraceptive methods, particularly for adolescents and youth aged 15–24 years. However, concerns about their quality of services, compliance with national regulations, and low rates of referrals to primary health centers (PHCs) for long-term contraceptive methods posed limitations to meeting adolescents’ and youth’s sexual and reproductive health needs.To expand access to quality contraceptive services for adolescents and youth and increase contraceptive uptake to methods not dispensed by PPMVs, The Challenge Initiative aimed to build a collaborative partnership between PPMVs and PHCs to improve PPMVs’ referrals to PHCs and compliance with national guidelines.Strengthening the partnership between PPMVs and the state public health system resulted in significant increases in contraceptives dispensed in the 193 participating PPMVs.Key ImplicationsThe state health system can design and implement a robust partnership with PPMVs to increase access and quality contraceptive services for adolescents and youth.State governments should continue to strengthen collaboration with PPMVs through national, state, and local associations to maintain adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health service quality and referrals.Introduction:In Nigeria, health care services and commodities have increasingly been accessed through private sector entities, including retail pharmacies and drug shops (also called proprietary patent medicine vendors [PPMVs]). However, PPMVs cannot provide long-acting or permanent methods, and concerns have been raised about their quality of services and their need to better comply with government regulations. This article describes how The Challenge Initiative’s (TCI) family planning program supported 4 state governments in Nigeria to develop a model to strengthen public-private partnerships between PPMVs and primary health centers (PHCs) to leverage PPMVs to provide adolescents and youth with high-quality contraceptive information, services, and referrals to PHCs.Program Description:The intervention implemented a hub-spoke model by strengthening the linkages between neighboring PPMVs and large PHCs for delivering contraceptive services to adolescents and youth. The steps in the implementation process included: (1) introducing the intervention to state governments, (2) selecting PPMVs as spokes and high-volume PHCs as hubs, (3) conducting whole-site orientations jointly with PPMV and PHC staff, (4) strengthening referral links between PPMVs and PHCs, (5) implementing supportive supervision and coaching, and (6) strengthening client data management. TCI worked with the state and local ministry of health to improve PPMV operators’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills to deliver adolescent- and youth-friendly services.Lessons Learned and Recommendations:Implementing the PPMV intervention with state governments and PHCs strengthened the public-private partnership. A functional referral system in Plateau State demonstrated significant success, enabling increased contraceptive choice and adherence to regulations for adolescents and youth. We recommend that the government strengthen the working relationship between PPMVs and PHCs, incorporate PPMVs into the routine supportive supervision of the state health system, and incorporate a referral linkage with PHCs into the design and implementation of PPMV programs.