Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies

A 2004 global evaluation of reproductive health in refugee and internally displaced settings showed that while significant progress has been made since 1995 in raising awareness and advancing the reproductive health of displaced populations, substantial gaps remain.

Specifically, improvement is needed in the areas of family planning, gender-based violence, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS) and the provision of quality services for emergency obstetric care. Furthermore, donor funding constraints and an overall lack of comprehensive policies for reproductive health in emergencies have limited the provision of reproductive health services in these settings. The international community has advocated for the implementation of a priority set of activities known as the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health at the onset of every new emergency until comprehensive services can be instituted.

The Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies (RAISE) Initiative was developed by Columbia University’s Mailman Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health in the Mailman School of Public Health and Marie Stopes International (MSI) to address some of these identified gaps. The RAISE Initiative is designed to catalyze change in how reproductive health for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is addressed by all sectors involved in emergency response, from field services to advocacy and from local aid providers to global relief movements.

Through partnerships, awareness-raising activities and the development of joint policy initiatives, the Women’s Refugee Commission and other RAISE advocacy partners (MSI-UK, MSI-Brussels and John Snow Inc. Research and Training Institute) are advocating for an enabling policy and funding environment among UN agencies, international bodies, donor governments and countries hosting displaced populations to include reproductive health as an integral part of their humanitarian response and action. In particular, the Women’s Refugee Commission is working with other humanitarian organizations to prevent the erosion of support for reproductive health among displaced populations during the humanitarian reform process.

The Women’s Refugee Commission is working with RAISE to realize the right to quality reproductive health services, as recognized at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), for all peoples affected by conflict and natural disasters.

To find out more, check out the RAISE Advocacy Briefing pack.