A pilot study to estimate the impact of mPango on contraceptive use

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A pilot study to estimate the impact of mPango on contraceptive use

Maternal mortality is a persistent challenge for the Kenyan health system. In 2015, the UN projects that 8,000 Kenyan women will die during pregnancy or in the first 42 days after childbirth. Meeting women's unmet need for family planning could prevent a substantial number of these deaths. While there is an active marketplace for family planning products and services in Kenya, there is also tremendous room for growth. Nearly 2 million Kenyan women are not using contraception but say they would like to, and millions of others are either unaware of the potential benefits, misinformed about the full range of modern methods available, or unsatisfied with previous experiences using contraception. mPango is a new social venture that recognizes the potential of voluntary family planning and the great opportunity that exists in Kenya. We are weeks away from launching a digital marketplace that will educate callers about family planning, offer free automated counseling, recommend suitable methods, and make referrals to local providers. We propose to conduct a pilot study using a randomized encouragement design to estimate the impact of Nivi on the uptake of contraception among women with an unmet need for family planning.

Last updated on January 10, 2018