Ukraine: HRW urges government to make EC more accessible

September 2023. Human Rights Watch Director for Europe and Central Asia, urges Ukrainian health authorities “to remove the prescription requirement for emergency contraception drugs” and to “take all necessary measures to allow for the sale of emergency contraception drugs without prescription”.  Concerns were raised after the Ukrainian government announced in April the introduction of the…

New recommendations on EC dispensing

New recommendations on EC dispensing

ECEC brings together key stakeholders to foster a common vision of how evidence- and rights-based dispensing of emergency contraception (EC) should be in over-the-counter (OTC) and behind-the-counter (BTC) settings, where different EC pills are available directly from community pharmacies. September 2023. Two years ago, ECEC and YouAct conducted a participatory survey, to better understand access…

Australia: Old EC dispensing practices, put into question

Australia: Old EC dispensing practices, put into question

September 2023. In Australia, some pharmacies still require women to fill out a written form, in order to obtain EC. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) created a form when EC pills were first introduced in the country (in the early 2000) but its use is no longer required nor recommended. This has triggered a…

EC sales in low- and middle-income countries: Data from Social Marketing Programs

EC sales in low- and middle-income countries: Data from Social Marketing Programs

August 2023. DKT International and ECEC just published a brief that summarizes emergency contraception pills (ECPs) sales data from Social Marketing Programs in low- and middle-income countries, in the past 10 years. Emergency Contraception Pills Sales in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Data from Social Marketing Programs, reveals that ECPs experienced a remarkable growth during this…

EC pills already registered in Honduras

EC pills already registered in Honduras

July 2023. The registration of the first LNG EC pill has already been approved by Honduras authorities in July. According to local news outlets, the spokesperson from the Health Regulation Agency said that the Agency “recognizes the importance of this medicine for women’s reproductive health, which is why rigorous criteria have been established to ensure…

Kenya: New data on EC use

Kenya: New data on EC use

July 2023. The Key Indicators Report of the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, published in January, provides new data on EC use among currently married women and sexually active unmarried women from different regions of the country. The survey was implemented by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in collaboration with the Ministry…

Canada: warning of unauthorized LNG ECPs sold on-line

May 2023. Health authorities in Canada issued a warning to consumers about unauthorized versions of levonorgestrel emergency contraception pills (and also other drugs for medical abortion) being sold on-line in the Canadian market.  “Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, efficacy and…

Canada: LNG EC free of cost in British Columbia

Canada: LNG EC free of cost in British Columbia

April 2023. As of this month, in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) some brands of LNG emergency contraception pills (ECPs) are available free of cost directly from pharmacies. This gratuity scheme is run by British Columbia Pharma Care (the publicly funded program thathelps residents pay for eligible prescription drugs, and certain medical supplies…

RHSC: Data on public procurement of EC from low- and middle-income countries.

RHSC: Data on public procurement of EC from low- and middle-income countries.

April 2023. In December 2022, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) published The Family Planning Market Report. This report leverages shipment data from 17 participating suppliers to analyze the public-sector contraceptive market in 83 low- and middle-income countries. The public sector is defined as those purchased by public…