This fact sheet was made to highlight refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), many factors contribute to unplanned and unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and related health risks among women and girls.

This fact sheet focuses on the health risks experienced by all women and girls in pregnancy and childbirth are compounded for refugees and IDPs by the general risks that characterize these settings.  Immediate causes of death include delays in reaching treatment due to lack of availability and access to treatment, and lack of equipment, supplies, and trained and supported staff at health facilities. It tries to convey how imperative it is that EmOC is recognized as a crucial, lifesaving intervention to which all women and girls affected by crises are entitled.

Emergency Contraception for Conflict-Affected Settings: A Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium Distance Learning Module has been developed to meet the need for increased awareness and knowledge about emergency contraception (EC) among health service providers working with refugee and internally displaced populations (IDPs).1 A distance learning method helps to increase access to information about EC, promotes flexibility, assures quality information, empowers learners and is cost-effective.2 Based on such advantages, the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium chose this method to provide practical information on EC to local projects in developing countries. The RHRC Consortium is working to mainstream EC by increasing awareness and knowledge and improving access to and demand for EC in appropriate program locations.

The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium’s Research Conference 2000: Findings on Reproductive Health of Refugees and Displaced Populations was convened as a forum for service providers, researchers, policy makers and donors to share program findings garnered over the last several years. These data must now be used to improve ongoing programs and initiate new ones. Increasing coverage of comprehensive reproductive health services is critical. Agencies questioning the need for reproductive health services can consult the findings presented concerning the heightened risk of refugees* for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, and sexual and gender-based violence, their poor pregnancy outcomes, and their expressed desire for reproductive health services. Projects should be carefully planned, adapting interventions that have proven to work elsewhere. When new interventions are tested, planners must ensure that there is a strong evidence-based likelihood of success. The following three needs are especially crucial to the ability of a war-impacted society to rebuild and flourish: 1) address the reproductive health needs of adolescents specifically; 2) stop HIV transmission; and 3) embark on a multi-sectoral offensive against sexual and gender-based violence.

Emergency obstetric care covers a wide range of health concerns:  adequate supplies of drugs and equipment, staff trained in identifying symptoms of emergency obstetrical conditions and initiating appropriate referrals, as well as staff who are able to offer counseling services.

The Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium — along with conference co-hosts, UNFPA and UNHCR, and conference collaborating partner, International Centre for Reproductive Health at Ghent University — are pleased to present this book of abstracts outlining the content of papers presented at Conference 2003: Reproductive Health from Disaster to Development.  These abstracts present an overview of successful practice at both the field and policy levels. We hope that this conference’s focus on applied research, program findings and use of data will contribute to improved reproductive health services for populations affected by armed conflict around the world, including those in regions making the transition from war to peace and stability.

This How To Guide describes the process used to review and strengthen safe motherhood services in the refugee camps in Kigoma and Ngara, Tanzania. Information is provided about safe motherhood in refugee settings, the activities undertaken during the review process and the key people involved in the activities. The main findings of the review process are also presented, together with the conclusions and recommendations for strengthening safe motherhood services in the refugee camps in Kigoma and Ngara.

The Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium (formerly the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium) hosted its second international research conference, RHRC Conference 2003: Repoductive Health from Disaster to Development on October 7 and 8, 2003 in Brussels, Belgium.

European members of parliament Ulla Sandbaek and Anne Van Laeker opened the conference calling for the European Union to strengthen its commitment to reproductive health for conflict-affected populations particularly in the current challenging political environment. They also emphasized the importance of advocating for improved reproductive health policies and funding at all levels within the European Union and the value of linking humanitarian aid and longer-term development cooperation to maximize the efficiency of the European Commission’s development assistance.

The Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health for Refugees presented preliminary results on its effort to document the coverage of reproductive health services globally using literature review, surveys and key stakeholder interviews to assess quality and quantity of services, internal agency changes and funding trends. Although gaps in services persist, early findings reveal that availability of reproductive health services is improving in stable settings. The study also demonstrates that obtaining data from the earliest days of an emergency and internally displaced settings is difficult and the limited information available points to tremendous remaining needs. Final results of the IAWG global evaluation will be available in 2004 and widely disseminated so that programs may build on the lessons learned to expand reproductive health services worldwide.

At the conference reception, the RHRC Consortium announced its new name, reflecting the scope of its activities, which extends to all conflict-affected populations and is not limited to refugee settings. The Consortium also launched two new reports, The Global Decade Report, the third in a series of reports documenting the progress of providing reproductive health to conflict-affected populations, and Renewing International Commitment to Reproductive Health for Conflict-Affected Populations, a review of the Consortium’s work over the last eight years of collaboration and a description of the group’s focus for the future. In addition, the Consortium released new versions of important field-based training and awareness-building modules including Raising Awareness for Reproductive Health in Complex Emergencies: A Training Manual and Moving from Emergency Response to Comprehensive Reproductive Health Programs: A Modular Training Series.

The conference was a great success in sharing information, strategies and ideas among practitioners from north and south, demonstrating the essential nature of this event in moving forward the research and development activities necessary to improve the reproductive health of conflict-affected populations.The Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium (formerly the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium) hosted its second international research conference, RHRC Conference 2003: Repoductive Health from Disaster to Development on October 7 and 8, 2003 in Brussels, Belgium.

European members of parliament Ulla Sandbaek and Anne Van Laeker opened the conference calling for the European Union to strengthen its commitment to reproductive health for conflict-affected populations particularly in the current challenging political environment. They also emphasized the importance of advocating for improved reproductive health policies and funding at all levels within the European Union and the value of linking humanitarian aid and longer-term development cooperation to maximize the efficiency of the European Commission’s development assistance.

The Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health for Refugees presented preliminary results on its effort to document the coverage of reproductive health services globally using literature review, surveys and key stakeholder interviews to assess quality and quantity of services, internal agency changes and funding trends. Although gaps in services persist, early findings reveal that availability of reproductive health services is improving in stable settings. The study also demonstrates that obtaining data from the earliest days of an emergency and internally displaced settings is difficult and the limited information available points to tremendous remaining needs. Final results of the IAWG global evaluation will be available in 2004 and widely disseminated so that programs may build on the lessons learned to expand reproductive health services worldwide.

At the conference reception, the RHRC Consortium announced its new name, reflecting the scope of its activities, which extends to all conflict-affected populations and is not limited to refugee settings. The Consortium also launched two new reports, The Global Decade Report, the third in a series of reports documenting the progress of providing reproductive health to conflict-affected populations, and Renewing International Commitment to Reproductive Health for Conflict-Affected Populations, a review of the Consortium’s work over the last eight years of collaboration and a description of the group’s focus for the future. In addition, the Consortium released new versions of important field-based training and awareness-building modules including Raising Awareness for Reproductive Health in Complex Emergencies: A Training Manual and Moving from Emergency Response to Comprehensive Reproductive Health Programs: A Modular Training Series.

The conference was a great success in sharing information, strategies and ideas among practitioners from north and south, demonstrating the essential nature of this event in moving forward the research and development activities necessary to improve the reproductive health of conflict-affected populations.

As a consortium of organizations dedicated to the promotion of health among all persons affected by crisis, we applaud relief efforts to provide water, sanitation, food and medicines in Haiti. We also call on humanitarian actors to provide lifesaving reproductive health services for women displaced by the earthquake.As a consortium of organizations dedicated to the promotion of health among all persons affected by crisis, we applaud relief efforts to provide water, sanitation, food and medicines in Haiti. We also call on humanitarian actors to provide lifesaving reproductive health services for women displaced by the earthquake.