DKT International Awarded $25 Million Grant and $12.5 Million Loan From the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 03, 2016 -- DKT was awarded a combination $25 million grant and $12.5 million loan from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the years 2016-2020.
“This generous contribution will allow DKT to both scale up its existing programs and expand the sale of contraceptives to at least twenty new countries,” says Christopher Purdy, CEO, DKT International. “We’re proud to be the first recipient of this results-based combination grant and loan.”
DKT must meet particular goals for women’s health outcomes to receive full grant funding in 2018-2020. DKT will repay the entirety of the below-market interest rate loan, a financing mechanism designed to increase sustainable access to vital reproductive health products in developing countries.
The funding will be used to increase the distribution and sale of affordable modern contraceptives through retailer detailing, commodities procurement, and improved pipeline management. In addition, DKT will launch demand creation campaigns, including mass media advertising of contraceptives, community outreach, and education about sexual health and modern contraceptive methods. DKT’s geographic expansion will primarily occur in West Africa and Latin America.
DKT will particularly engage adolescent and youth populations with age-appropriate programming to provide young people with information about contraception and reproductive health. Additionally, DKT will scale up its existing social franchising operations to increase the number of healthcare workers providing reproductive health services in underserved communities.
Funding will also be used to expand DKT’s geographic reach to provide contraceptives in at least 11 new countries designated as critical to the FP2020 Initiative. DKT estimates that funding from the Gates Foundation will allow DKT to reach 10 million more couples than it otherwise would have by the end of 2020. DKT’s official commitment is for 10 million incremental Couple Years of Protection (CYPs), which is a common metric in the family planning field that represents the amount of contraceptives one couple requires to prevent pregnancy for one year.
“DKT is proud to contribute to the FP2020 mission of providing 120 million women and girls with access to modern contraception. We are grateful for the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in increasing access to high quality, affordable contraceptives through social marketing and for the opportunity to pilot this innovative financing mechanism,” adds Purdy. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Gates Foundation in empowering women and adolescents worldwide.”
Jaimie Weiner, Global Communication Works, +1 (646) 964-4446, [email protected]
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