More than 54 million women, girls, and young people are displaced and living in humanitarian settings because of conflict, climate-induced migration, or other crises. Displacement in any form threatens the well-being of all individuals, but women and young people may suffer disproportionately from poor sexual and reproductive health (e.g., unintended pregnancies, pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections) due to lack of access to health information and services as well as heightened vulnerabilities to violence, including gender-based violence, and harmful practices such as child marriage. The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and multiple global frameworks and guidelines enshrine the right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services in humanitarian settings. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again starkly illustrated that these rights remain under threat, and FP2030 is committed to ensuring that family planning (FP) remains an essential aspect of countriesâ emergency response efforts.
Over the past nine years, FP2030 has observed that every country is vulnerable to some form of shocks and stresses, sometimes simultaneously, that in almost every instance has negatively affected womenâs access to contraception and other SRH services. While the economic and social stability of a country will shape its ability to bounce back from crisis, another important factor is how well countries are prepared to respond to and recover from crises related to climate change, conflict, and infectious disease outbreaks, which can overwhelm health systems. Countries that invest in emergency preparedness and response strategies are better able to cope with crises and limit gaps in the provision of health and other essential services, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and contraceptive methods. Accordingly, emergency preparedness actors are advocating for a more comprehensive framing of emergency preparedness that goes beyond being prepared to respond to crisis. The preferred term âresilienceâ suggests a continuum of government actions across sectors, including health, that include planning for, responding to, and recovering from crises.
FP2030 is the only global partnership focused specifically on increasing sexually active individualsâ access to and use of high-quality, rights-based family planning. FP2030 is committed to highlighting the family planning needs of underserved and overlooked groups, such as people in humanitarian situations and people in vulnerable groups including adolescents and young people, as well as people with disabilities; and advocating for more effective and evidence-informed responses and resources. FP2030 is well positioned to engage governments, donors, development, and humanitarian actors, contributing to ongoing global efforts to achieve better emergency preparedness and response (EPR) in commitment-making countries.
This strategy document will be available in French and Spanish. Check back soon.
