Options has a long track-record of working in Anglophone West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana. Options work in West Africa focuses on programme design, social marketing, social development and conducting participatory research.  

 

See below for illustrations of Options' work in the region: 

 

Nigeria:
Our work in Nigeria includes providing technical assistance in social development and livelihoods to inform the design of Nigeria's multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS Programme; providing long-term institutional expertise to the Christian Health Association of Nigeria. A key output of this work was the development of CHANPharm (the drug distribution arm of CHAN) into a substantive, separately managed and business oriented concern. In 2001 Options assisted in designing Nigeria's Partnership in Transforming Health Systems Programme. This involved analyzing access issues for civil society, assessment of entitlement, consumer participation and accountability, and examining the role played by civil society organizations in the programme. Since then, as members of a consortium that coordinates programme inputs through a project management unit, we have provided inputs in consumer awareness raising, reproductive health and safe motherhood and other priority concerns addressed by the programme. In 2007 we conducted a PEER study (see PEER profile) to provide qualitative data to inform the Marie Stopes International/SFHY project: Social Marketing of Contraceptives through the Private Sector.    

 

Ghana:
In Ghana we have provided social development technical inputs into the Ghanaian Health Sector Reform Programme and participated in reviews of reproductive health programmes.

Sierra Leone:
Options has recently begun working in Sierra Leone. Completed work includes providing support to Marie Stopes International for preparation of Sierra Leone's national proposal to the Global Fund and providing technical support to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for finalization of Sierra Leone's Reproductive Health Policy.