Banyan Global is a subcontractor on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Improving Market Partnerships and Access to Commodities Together (IMPACT) program in Madagascar. Led by Population Services International (PSI), IMPACT aims to improve the capacity of the Malagasy health system to ensure that quality pharmaceuticals and health commodities are available and accessible to all Malagasy people on a sustainable basis. Banyan Global is responsible for access to finance and business capacity development for the commercial health commodities sector, as well as for gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) activities for the whole project. Banyan Global’s active implementation of these program activities ended in 2023, and we are now monitoring and supporting the sustainability of these activities during the sixth and final year of IMPACT.

Banyan Global has worked to engage the commercial sector by developing and adapting loan products and providing business training for micro and small health enterprises such as pharmacies and drug shops. Building on previous experience in Madagascar, Banyan Global supports four local banks: AccèsBanque, Baobab Banque, Première Agence de Microfinance, and the KRED microfinance division of Banky Nasionalin’ny Indostria (BNI) in Madagascar to expand their lending to the private health sector. In parallel, Banyan Global is strengthening the commercial health commodities distribution sector by:

• Providing operational and financial management training courses to drug shops and pharmacies to develop their business skills;
• Supporting drug shops in forming regional associations to represent their interests in interactions with government decision-makers; and
• Engaging private pharmaceutical wholesalers to strengthen partnerships within the commercial health commodities distribution chain.

Gender equality, social inclusion and women’s economic empowerment are critical components to achieving universal health coverage. Without understanding the different needs and experiences of women, girls, men, boys, and gender-diverse individuals, IMPACT, like other health programs, will not be able to achieve its goals. With this in mind, Banyan Global leads IMPACT’s GESI portfolio, ensuring the integration of key considerations into the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of project activities. Banyan Global completed a GESI Analysis and Action Plan to examine key advances, constraints, inequalities, and opportunities and to provide recommendations on how IMPACT could achieve greater impact. Following this plan, Banyan Global has:

• Collaborated closely with two local women’s organizations, National Council of Women in Madagascar (Conseil National des Femmes de Madagascar or CNFM) and Women Entrepreneurs of the Indian Ocean (Entreprendre au Féminin Océan Indien or EFOI), as well as government entities such as the Ministry of Population, Social Protection and the Promotion of Women and the Ministry of Public Health.
• Built GESI and health-related knowledge and skills of IMPACT staff and partners, including co-developing and facilitating workshops and training opportunities for women leaders and health entrepreneurs.
• Developed tools and resources, such as four GESI factsheets and a GESI Learning Manual for Health Supply Chain Management in Madagascar, to promote equitable access to and use of health products and services.
• Supported financial institutions, including those listed above, to identify and address GESI-related constraints and opportunities to better support private health commodity distributors.
• Coordinated IMPACT engagement for communication campaigns and key celebrations related to GESI and health advocacy such as International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.