Association Béninoise pour le Marketing Social et la Communication pour la Santé (ABMS) aims to health products and services available and accessible to low income and vulnerable populations in three main health areas: HIV, sanitation and sexual and reproductive health. ABMS’ projects create a synergy between social marketing and communication to change behaviors, making it easier for key groups to access health products and services.
Established in 1994, the Association Béninoise pour le Marketing Social et la Communication pour la Santé (ABMS) works to continue PSI’s commitment to local, socially dedicated organizations capable of decentralized initiatives and decision-making. ABMS’s interventions in malaria, HIV/AIDS, family planning, child survival and water, sanitation and hygiene continue to have a significant health impact in Benin.
In partnership with the Beninese Ministry of Health, ABMS provided 266,298 years of healthy life in 2018, including:
389,727
years of protection from unplanned pregnancy provided for Beninese couples
269,249
new users of its health products
ABMS implements sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) programming to ensure the integration and quality of health services offered to consumers. ABMS develops screening campaigns, offers a menu of long-acting reversible contraception and screening for STIs, HIV and cervical cancer using mobile clinics. It has also developed a franchise network, ProFam, to ensure appropriate care for clients who visit clinics and health centers.
In 2004, ABMS created the social franchise ProFam, a network of private clinics which aims to improve the quality and accessibility of health services, including integrated sexual and reproductive health services, HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and management. ProFam clinics work with their clients to emphasize the importance of dual protection, cervical cancer screening, antenatal care and safe and healthy childbirth.
In 2013 ABMS, launched two mobile clinics to increase geographical accessibility of quality, integrated health care outside of fixed sites in the departments it serves. This strategy helps to improve the adoption of contraceptive methods, especially in rural areas.
ABMS works with local entrepreneurs to produce WC MIMIN, a modern latrine that functions similarly to flush toilets but is manual and uses little water. In Benin, only 22 percent of urban populations use basic sanitation facilities, and 38 percent practice open defecation. The WC MIMIN brand allows entrepreneurs to build their businesses selling latrines and provides access to quality sanitation that many would not previously have had access to. In addition to the WC MIMIN latrine, VIDANGE MIMIN offers quality emptying services by a network of dedicated and trained service providers. ABMS supports households’ continuous access to quality drainage services through a call center, reducing the time needed to provide household emptying services and optimizing interventions for pit emptying.
