Maternal and infant mortality rates in Côte d’Ivoire had significantly increased in recent years, due in part to unwanted pregnancies and the socio-economic situation within the country’s marginalized urban communities. Yet many cities were not allocating specific financial resources in their health budgets to support family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) programs.

Because local elected officials were not focused on family planning programs, unmet need for family planning and AYSRH services remained high. In addition, women and girls had a lack of information regarding the benefits and use of family planning/AYSRH services.

After The Challenge Initiative (TCI) began implementing in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in June 2019, it conducted advocacy activities with six of the 10 municipalities supported by TCI on the importance of family planning, the need for family planning activities to be included in workplans, and the need for municipalities to commit funds that can be used by the health system. As a result, the six TCI-supported mayors in Abidjan municipalities mobilized 81 million CFA francs ($135,000 USD) to purchase contraceptives and other products to conduct free Family Planning Special Days.

The mayors’ offices have now included a budget line for family planning and AYSRH in their three-year action plan (2022 to 2024) to ensure TCI’s impact is sustained post-graduation – when TCI’s direct support ends. Also, advocacy and monitoring groups established with TCI support heped the cities mobilize another 25 million CFA francs ($41,667 USD), which was included in the three-year action plan that continues post TCI.

Moving forward, the city councils supported by TCI will have financial resources each year for three years to sustain the TCI model. The deputy mayor of Abobo, Mr. Georges Kpan, said:

 Thanks to the training activity for local elected officials on the local development and the creation and maintenance of an FP budget for TCI, the 50 local elected officials have agreed to create an FP budget line in the three-year plan for the next three years. That is why, at the beginning of 2023, the Abobo City Council has already paid its financial contribution of 15 million CFA francs (25,000 USD) into UVICOCI’s (the Association of Mayors in Cote d’Ivoire) joint account with TCI, which will be used to continue the TCI model in Abobo.”

The same is true for the other communes in Côte d’Ivoire where TCI is being implemented. For example, at the beginning of 2023, the Bouaké City Council paid its financial contribution of 10 million CFA francs ($16,667 USD) to the city’s Treasury.