When health facilities run out of family planning products, women often bear the greatest consequences. A missed contraceptive injection, unavailable implants, or stockouts of essential commodities can disrupt reproductive health choices and place additional strain on families and health systems.
To help address this challenge, regional pharmacists from across Côte d’Ivoire gathered in Grand-Bassam from April 21–25, 2026, for a training workshop on the Automated Stock Rebalancing Tool for Family Planning Products (RAS-PF). Organized under the theme “The right quantity, in the right place,” the workshop was supported technically and financially by VillageReach through the Family Planning Supply Chain Strengthening (FPSCS) project.
The training brought together regional pharmacists and representatives from key national institutions, including the Health Information Directorate (DIS), the Directorate of Information Technology and Digital Health (DISD), the Pharmaceutical Activities Directorate (DAP), and the National Maternal and Child Health Program (PNSME). Their shared goal was to ensure that family planning products reach women when and where they need them.
Tackling Stockouts Through Better Data
For many health systems, stock management remains largely reactive. Health facilities often identify shortages only after they occur, resulting in delayed replenishment and interruptions in service delivery.
The RAS-PF tool is designed to change that. By analyzing stock data and recommending transfers between regions, the system helps supply chain managers identify shortages before they happen and redistribute products more efficiently.
During the workshop, participants strengthened their skills in:
- Analyzing stock data using Excel.
- Using the RAS-PF platform to monitor product availability.
- Validating stock transfer recommendations generated by the system.
Through practical exercises and real-life simulations, pharmacists learned how to make data-driven decisions that can improve the continuous availability of family planning products across the country.
Building Confidence in a New Approach
For many participants, the training demonstrated how digital tools can strengthen day-to-day supply chain management.
“The RAS-PF tool is an important tool for managing product stocks and is useful in practice. It helps us optimise the various shipments of family planning products,” said Dr. Kotchi from the Bounkani region. “We would like to thank VillageReach for its support in carrying out our duties.”
The workshop also provided an opportunity for collaboration among stakeholders at different levels of the health system, helping build a common understanding of how data can support more responsive supply chain decisions.
According to Dr. Comoe Eric Aka, Pharmacist and Supply Chain Consultant at VillageReach, the training was designed to equip supply chain actors with the knowledge needed to use the platform effectively.
“The ultimate aim was to provide an early and precise response to issues regarding the availability of family planning products in the area covered by the FPSCS project,” he explained.
Improving Access for Women and Families
The value of the RAS-PF extends beyond logistics. By enabling health authorities to proactively rebalance stocks, the tool helps reduce both stockouts and overstocking, ensuring that family planning commodities are available where they are most needed.
Ultimately, ensuring the availability of family planning products is about more than inventory management. It is about supporting women to make informed reproductive health choices, strengthening trust in health services and ensuring that communities have continuous access to essential care.
Through investments in data systems and workforce capacity, VillageReach and its partners are helping build a more resilient supply chain. One where every data point supports better decisions and every health facility is better equipped to serve the people who depend on it.