Paper short abstract:

The paper uses assemblage theory to examine the country-level network of CSOs that contributed to health policy change and roll-out of misoprostol for postpartum haemorrhage across Uganda

Paper long abstract:

Misoprostol for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) has been promoted by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) since the early 2000s. Yet, CSOs’ role in improving access to misoprostol and shaping health policy at global and national level is not well understood. In Uganda, misoprostol was introduced with technical and financial support by five CSOs in 2008 (Atukunda et al. 2015). All were part of a larger global assemblage of groups working on maternal health (Millard et al. 2015). In this paper we use global assemblage theory to understand this country-level expression of global networks. We analyse CSOs’ aims, activities, and their position, specific experience, and ties with the pharma industry and funders within global networks that contributed to the policy change and subsequent roll-out of misoprostol across Uganda. Policy documents, procurement data and key informant interviews with government officials, healthcare providers, and CSOs in four districts of Uganda were collected within the Accessing Medicines in Africa and South Asia project (2010-2013).