News and Updates from DKT International

Dear Friend of DKT,

For DKT International, ‘sustainability’ is more than just a buzzword. We actively work to produce health impact at scale while generating financial results that enable us to maintain those results over the long term. All DKT operations seek cost-efficiency while maximizing financial health. We’ve documented these efforts in white papers as well as published articles on this subject.  

This month we highlight two efforts focused on this issue. First, in DR Congo, DKT reached a new milestone whereby the core cost of procuring contraceptive commodities (the most expensive aspect of running DKT programs) is able to be covered by the value of the sales revenue. In addition, using DKT’s audited 2022 financials, we are pleased to report that our global Cost per CYP dropped below one dollar to a record low of $0.94 cents. This is a new and notable milestone in the journey towards increased cost-effectiveness and sustainability and is almost certainly one of the lowest Cost per CYP metrics among reproductive health organizations.

Even as we move the needle forward on the sustainability front, there remain a multitude of global challenges for which DKT continues to rely on donor support. In Niger, a coup has slowed our efforts in the country, where we were experiencing significant progress - having recently introduced mife+miso

combipacks and had plans for future training. In Sudan, teams continue to engage with practitioners on the ground as they bravely serve clients in any way they can. And in Nigeria, where access to USD (dollars) is increasingly difficult, the team navigates efforts to continue importing commodities as best they can. If you would like to support our continued efforts for initiatives in these areas, please contact us. 



Cheers,

Christopher Purdy

Key sustainability milestone reached in DR Congo

The first step in the sustainability journey typically occurs when an organization can begin to cover the cost of commodities with its own revenue, thereby allowing donor support to slowly shift from commodity support towards other activities, such as demand creation. Last month, DKT’s DR Congo team achieved this long-sought-after goal. 

Getting to this important milestone wasn’t easy – especially in a market such as DR Congo, which is amongst the five poorest nations in the world, according to the World Bank. Approximately 62% of Congolese, around 60 million people, live on less than $2.15 a day. Our team in DR Congo has been able to keep prices low enough such that most products remain affordable to the vast majority of people in the country. As can be seen in the Affordability Table below, the low per capita income, the real cost of global commodity prices, and the limited availability of donor funds to subsidize contraceptives are such that some products are over the desired affordability thresholds.  

“We’ve had to make some tough decisions about what we can and cannot do,” says DR Congo Country Director Jean Christopher Carrau. “(Over the years) we have carefully adjusted pricing and engaged in cross-subsidization … but the focus has to be on making sure there is enough product. We are pleased now that our sales revenues can theoretically cover the cost of repurchasing more commodities.”

Based on DKT’2 2022 audited financials, we are proud to report that the global cost of providing one full year of contraceptive protection dropped to $0.94. This is almost certainly among the lowest Cost per CYP among reproductive health organizations and is a testament to DKT's focus on cost efficiency and effectiveness.  

The Cost per CYP is calculated as total external financial support of DKT efforts divided by the total number of CYPs generated. Total external financial support includes all donor funds received as well as any discretionary funds provided by the DKT International head office. It does not include sales revenues that are generated in a given country from the provision of products and services.  

This information is, we hope, a useful data point for donors and partners as they look at returns on investment and leveraging the financial sustainability of DKT’s efforts. A dollar invested in DKT produces a very large return.

EC pill sales up to 300 percent since 2012

In Sudan, DKT Country Manager Ali Barakat constantly communicates with his team to check on their health and safety conditions, and to monitor the degree to which operations can continue. He said team members continue to reach out to gynecologists in hospitals and private clinics in the outer states, with doctors confirming the urgent need for DKT’s products. The maternal mortality rate has tremendously increased since the beginning of the conflict, Barakat said, especially in border and remote areas that lack infrastructure. Existing health services are stretched to the limits.

In the first quarter of 2023, and prior to the coup, DKT had sold more than 240,000 condoms, 2,500 IUDs, and almost 300 MVAs in Sudan - far exceeding 2022 sales, which only began in July of last year. 

If you would like to support DKT’s efforts in conflict environments, please contact us.

Innovative new programming aims to shatter

sexual, contraceptive stigma in Asia and Africa

Gen Z is not afraid to talk about sex, taboos, and shifting cultural norms around sexuality. Shaping the discussion around these topics is also deeply rooted in the mission of DKT International. This month, our global teams put forward some exciting new initiatives, creatively using local influencers and all mediums (online and podcasting) to move the needle with regard to behavioral and societal change. 

In Ghana, teams launched of a new TV drama called “SOSO (Not So Gud, Not So Bad), developed with the GH Media School. Twelve prominent TV stations will broadcast the series. DKT Anglophone West Africa (AWA) and DKT Ghana also launched Season 3 of the popular Kiss and Tell show, featured on their social media channels; and DKT Mozambique launched Season 3 of Prudence Comekie, also available on DKT Mozambique’s social media channels.

In Indonesia, talking about abortion is considered taboo, but DKT Indonesia collaborated with SwipeRx to create a podcast about the proper usage and value of emergency contraception. The podcast took a deep dive into debunking misconceptions about PostPil's use.

To watch all our new shows and listen to the full podcast from Indonesia, check out our latest blog post.



Meet our Francophone West and Central Africa (FWACA) Country Managers!

DKT International has experienced phenomenal growth in the Francophone West and Central Africa (FWACA) region since 2015 when we logged our first sales in a handful of countries. Since then, teams on the ground have worked hard to register new products across 13 countries, and have expanded programming to include capacity building, introducing large-scale training to pharmacists and practitioners. In 2022, those efforts generated 1.4 million CYPs.

We are proud to introduce our Country Managers in the region: Serge Monoté; Franck O. (Oka); and Arielle WAFFO. We look forward to their results for 2023 and beyond. Enjoy the video and congratulations to the FWACA team on all your success!