Reproductive health and pandemic resilience

active

The needs of young women and girls are addressed, as well as supporting couples in safely planning pregnancies and using family planning (FP) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. The project goal is to increase the use of pandemic-adapted, qualitatively improved integrated SRHR services and information, including counseling and initial care for victims of sexualized violence. The measures include, among other things, sensitization and education in a combination of social, behavior change and interpersonal communication. Young people are reached through adapted measures (forums for young people and girls, menstrual health and hygiene). Health workers and political actors are supported and evidence-based lobbying helps to complete the range of FP methods and to sustainably improve the acceptance and financing of SRHR goods through political support. By integrating SRHR issues into public health facilities, such as abortion care, HPV screening, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and service provision for GBV victims, the pandemic resilience of the target group is increased and risks for women and girls caused by crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic are reduced. The target group is people with a focus on young women and girls aged between 15 and 19, adolescents and people from marginalized groups such as low-income households, people with disabilities and GBV victims. Secondary target groups are religious and traditional leaders and political actors, private and public health service providers and health personnel. The 3-year program is being implemented in five states: Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina in the north-west and Adamawa and Taraba in the north-east of Nigeria.