Total Market Approach

A total market approach (TMA) is a lens or process for developing strategies that increase access to priority health products and services. TMA takes into account free, subsidized, and commercial delivery of health products and services for a more sustainable and equitable approach to increase access for all segments of a population. TMA strategies have been used with priority health products such as condoms, contraceptives, oral rehydration salts, zinc, and insecticide-treated bed nets. 

Although the term “total market approach” is relatively new, stakeholders have been using similar concepts to transition their programs off public and donor subsidies for many years. Central to a total market approach is robust engagement of stakeholders from the public sector, for-profits, and NGOs.

SHOPS Plus uses total market approaches in its country programs to increase access to and use of priority health products and services, increase efficiency and equity in the health system, and improve the sustainability of its programs. The project uses data to inform its TMA strategies and measure progress. SHOPS Plus empowers local champions in the public and private sectors to steward and drive the process. The project also works to preserve clients’ ability to choose the type of provider and type of care they access.

SHOPS Plus website hosts a compendium that brings together tools and resources that can be used to help understand new ways of engaging country counterparts to support TMA efforts. It features two eLearning courses developed under the SHOPS Plus predecessor project. View the compendium.

Example of our work

In Tanzania, SHOPS Plus is working to build an equitable and sustainable market for health products and services using a total market approach. In collaboration with key government institutions and local partners, the project has led workshops and other activities to support the health markets in family planning and HIV. The project has conducted a market segmentation study for family planning, and is currently working to build the stewardship capacity of the Reproductive and Child Health Section of the Ministry of Health. To support HIV programming, the project is developing a total market approach manual intended to provide basic guidance to program managers at all levels of government, and by the staff of partner organizations responsible for distributing donated products to the community. The project is also working on different research studies to analyze the market for condoms.

Countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria (Increasing FP access, Increasing TB services availability) Senegal, Tanzania (Increasing opportunities for private sector, Increasing use of total market)