Integrating Reproductive Health into
Emergency Response Assessments and
Primary Health Care
Lorelei Goodyear, MPH;1Michelle Hynes, MPH2
1. Program Manager, Postabortion Care, EngenderHealth, New York, New York USA
2. Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia USA
Correspondence:
Lorelei Goodyear, MPH
Postabortion Care Program Manager
EngenderHealth
440 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10001 USA
E-mail: LGoodyear@engenderhealth.org
Keywords: assessment tools; complex emergencies; health services; internally displaced persons; primary health care; rapid assessment; reproductive health; refugee women; refugees; war-affected populations
War-affected populations often are displaced for years. When primary health care is focused on the acute conditions that often present in the emergency phase of a complex emergency, insufficient attention often is directed towards other evolving needs of the population. Their reproductive health, psychosocial health, and problems with chronic diseases may be overlooked even after the situation stabilizes. This article examines currently available resources for conducting rapid assessments of health needs and services during complex emergencies. Their respective strengths and weaknesses are discussed, particularly for assessing a population’s reproductive health needs, and for fostering the integration of reproductive health and primary health-care services, and for designing health services delivery. When more specific indicators are included in a needs assessment tool, the likelihood that the assessment results will influence the design and scope of the health program is increased. Needs assessments for primary health care that incorporate reproductive health indicators will assist health officials to integrate these services, and thus, use staff and facilities more efficiently, and will highlight areas of opportunity for providing services.
Goodyear L, Hynes M: Integrating reproductive health into emergency response assessments and primary health care. Prehosp Disast Med 2001;16(4):223–230.
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