Reproductive health services for migrant and refugee women in protracted situations
Citation: Larrea-Schiavon S, Vázquez-Quesada LM, Bartlett LR, et al. Interventions to improve the reproductive health of undocumented female migrants and refugees in protracted situations: A systematic review. Global Health: Science and Practice. 2022;10(6):1-15.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Anonymous donor.
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for articles about reproductive health interventions for migrant and refugee women in protracted situations (circumstances in which an individual had not been able to return home for a long time and had no immediate prosect of settlement elsewhere). They restricted their searches to articles published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese between January 2000 and December 2019. The authors found 10 observational studies from Guinea (2), Lebanon (1), Pakistan (2), Thailand (3), Uganda (1), and the USA (1).
What was found: Reproductive health interventions for migrant and refugee women in protracted situations included financial support, strengthened health service structures, and educational interventions. Provision of free or low-cost reproductive health services promoted their use. Strengthened health service structures increased prenatal visits, decreased maternal mortality, and improved access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion information, counselling, and post-abortion care. Educational interventions improved knowledge about reproductive health and the importance of peers to meet the unique needs of a mobile population. All studies stressed the security of migrants and the cultural and linguistic requirements for the interventions.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that reproductive health interventions should prioritise cultural sensitivity and security. Additionally, they encouraged a participatory approach to to ensure that reproductive health services addressed community needs and were monitored robustly.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, race, ethnicity, culture, language, and sex.
This summary was prepared by Joly Ghanawi, checked by Grace Meng, and finalized by William Summerskill.