New Report Examines Contraceptive Availability And Affordability In Armenia

Accessing modern contraception can be difficult in Armenia’s health care system, which is transitioning from a city-based, specialist-centric model to a decentralized system with a focus on family medicine. The report “Availability and Affordability of Contraceptive Commodities in Pharmacies and Primary Healthcare Facilities in Armenia,” by IntraHealth’s Inna Sacci, Zaruhi Mkrtchyan, and Amy Armistad,  describes the situation in which Armenian women make family planning choices.

While the Armenian health care system has improved significantly over the past decade, utilization of reproductive health services is low. This report found that many health care suppliers lacked modern contraceptive methods. Where modern contraception was available, its cost frequently made it inaccessible. While IUDs were the most cost effective method of birth control, they were difficult to find in either private or public health care facilities. The report recommends improving availability and affordability of modern birth control methods throughout Armenia, especially in rural areas.

Through USAID-funded projects, IntraHealth has worked to improve health care services in Armenia since 1999. IntraHealth currently supports Armenian health care development through Project NOVA and the Primary Health Care Reform Project.