Peter Hall
Speeches:
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Medabon introduced by Concept Foundation
Peter Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Concept Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand and Geneva, Switzerland
In order to make medical abortion more widely available, Concept Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Bangkok, Thailand, has been working to get a product available of assured quality at an affordable cost. It has been responsible, though a public-private partnership between WHO, Concept Foundation and industry, for the development of Medabon®, a co-packaged product containing 200mg mifepristone and 800µg misoprostol. The issue of abortion is often highly controversial, sensitive, emotive and with significant socio-cultural and moral dynamics and thus the introduction and use of products for medical abortion products requires careful planning. It is necessary to develop and implement an appropriately designed introductory process, which takes a systematic and incremental approach; ensures coordination and collaboration between the public health system and all key stakeholders; and utilizes a supportive health system. This has been undertaken with Medabon® in Cambodia, Nepal and Zambia.