Community-based distribution program's response to increased contraceptive demand in the Democratic Republic of Congo during COVID-19

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Integrated Health Program supports the Ministry of Health to strengthen family planning (FP) services through a Community-Based Distribution (CBD) program. As a part of this project, we investigated whether the CBD program responded to the increased need for contraceptives in nine provinces of the DRC during COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis compared distribution rates of contraception methods, uptake by new users, and renewal rates among women before and during the pandemic. Data sourced from women of childbearing age using modern contraceptives through CBD across 179 health zones were analyzed using chi-square tests in MedCalc software to examine proportion differences pre-COVID-19 versus during COVID-19. The CBD program distributed about 348,958 contraceptives during the pandemic, with 18.3% being new users, significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels (14.5%; P < 0.0001). Renewal rates were higher pre-pandemic overall (26.3% vs. 24.6%; P < 0.0001), but urban areas saw increased renewals during COVID-19 compared to before (34.8% vs. 24.1%; P < 0.0001). Despite pandemic-induced healthcare challenges, the CBD program effectively met escalated contraceptive demands. These findings underscore CBD's efficacy in crisis response, offering insights for governments on optimizing CBD services during health emergencies