Programs Reproductive Health Emergency Health for Displaced Women and Girls
Our reproductive health team is currently in Haiti to examine the degree to which the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health is being implemented in response to the January 12 earthquake. The team aims to identify the challenges and successes of MISP implementation, especially as the global community has focused on reproductive health needs in Haiti as in no former emergency. The team is working in three locations in Haiti and is documenting available reproductive health services, gaps and good practices; identifying key factors that support and hinder MISP implementation; and gathering community opinions and perceptions on experiences, reproductive health-related challenges and knowledge about and access to reproductive health services. The team comprises three Women's Refugee Commission staff as well as staff from international humanitarian organizations and UN agencies. See below for more on the MISP.
Fifteen percent of all pregnant women will experience an unpredictable obstetric complication. Without access to emergency obstetric services, many women will die or suffer long-term health consequences that are preventable.
The Women’s Refugee Commission works to ensure that these vital needs are recognized and addressed in an emergency by promoting basic standards for reproductive health care. These standards, also known as the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP), are designed to:
What is the MISP and why is it important?
This document summarizes the importance of implementing the MISP at the onset of every emergency, as advocacy messages for policy makers.
The 2009 revised “cheat sheet” summarizes the objectives and activities of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for RH in crises as outlined in Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings: An Inter-agency Field Manual. The front page notes the objectives and the back page contains a matrix that maps minimum versus comprehensive RH services, and an outline of the content of the IAWG RH Kits.
The Women's Refugee Commission developed a MISP distance learning module to help humanitarian workers learn how to implement all activities of the MISP.
Access the online MISP Module and get certified in priority reproductive health services.
The MISP includes several kits of equipment and supplies to complement the set of priority activities that must be implemented in the early days and weeks of a crisis in a coordinated manner by trained staff. The components of the MISP form a minimum requirement and it is expected that comprehensive reproductive health care services will be provided as the situation permits. All humanitarian workers are responsible for ensuring that MISP priority activities are implemented in a coordinated manner.
It is essential to immediately designate an RH Program Officer who is experienced in emergency settings and is able to coordinate and facilitate RH activities at the beginning of every new emergency. However, MISP activities are not limited to RH staff or even the general health sector. The MISP cuts across all sectors in addition to health, including protection, water and sanitation services and shelter. The MISP is a standard in the 2004 revised version of the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response for humanitarian assistance providers.
Once humanitarian actors are familiar with the priority activities of the MISP, they will recognize that it can be provided within the context of other critical priorities such as food, water and shelter.
Read a fact sheet on the MISP.
Find key messages on emergency health.
The Women's Refugee Commission undertook a mission to Kenya in April 2008 to assess the implementation of the MISP following the post-election violence of December 2007. Read the report.
When implemented at the onset of a crisis, the MISP saves lives and prevents illness, especially among women and girls.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is strongly associated with situations of forced population movement.[1] The MISP can help to prevent sexual violence and provide appropriate assistance to survivors by ensuring systems are in place to protect displaced populations, particularly women and girls, and ensuring medical services, including psychosocial support, are available for survivors of sexual violence.
HIV can spread quickly where there is poverty, powerlessness and instability. The MISP helps to prevent the transmission of HIV by emphasizing the importance of standard precautions (a set of safety measures to prevent HIV transmission), making free condoms readily available and ensuring blood for transfusion is safe. Introducing reproductive and sexual health services during the initial phase of a crisis can substantially contribute to reducing the risks for HIV transmission.[2]
December 2008. "Environmental Disasters in the Asia-Pacific: What About Reproductive Health in Emergencies?" RH Reality Check blog post quoting Sandra Krause.
June 2008. "In Times of Crisis, a Minimum Initial Package of Services Yields Maximum Reproductive Health Benefits." UNFPA interview with Sandra Krause on the MISP.
Learn more about the Women's Refugee Commission's role in the RAISE Initiative, which was formed to address gaps that still remain in emergency reproductive health care—gaps in family planning, gender-based violence, sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and the provision of quality services for emergency obstetric care.
