Access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cox鈥檚 Bazar
Global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have collided with long-standing sexual and reproductive health inequities. While COVID-19 has had a significant, and in some cases devastating, impact on health systems around the world, studies show that people whose human rights are least protected鈥攕uch as refugees, displaced peoples, and conflict-affected populations鈥攁re the ones who suffer the most.
The 探花精选鈥檚 work in Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Bangladesh鈥攈ome to the world鈥檚 largest refugee settlement鈥攊nevitably became more challenging during COVID-19. This assessment explores the intersecting impacts of the pandemic on the demand, access, and delivery of SRH services and protective measures. It incorporates the perspectives of women, girls, and boys from Rohingya and host communities, as well as service providers (e.g., frontline health workers, doctors, midwives, etc.) and other key informants (e.g., local officials, NGO staff, etc.). It was also intended as a learning exercise, so that SRH services can be more accessible and prioritized during future public health emergencies.