The purpose of the “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights during Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Operational Guidance for Humanitarian and Fragile Settings” is to provide practical advice for health staff undertaking infectious disease preparedness and response activities to ensure that the sexual and reproductive (SRH) needs of the population are met when an outbreak occurs. It is designed to be an operational guide to support health actors to maintain critical SRH services during infectious disease outbreaks and ensure necessary SRH considerations are integrated within the outbreak response; it is not a clinical guide.
The guidance was developed by the READY initiative and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
The guidance is divided into four sections. Section one explores the effects of infectious disease outbreaks on SRH. Section two looks at cross-cutting considerations, such as the importance of coordination, and section three examines ways to maintain the safety and continuity of essential SRH services before and during infectious disease outbreaks. Section four explores ways to integrate SRH needs within infectious disease outbreak preparedness and responses. Finally, the guidance includes two annexes; annex one is a preparedness and response checklist to aid programming and annex two includes additional tools and resources.
The guidance is now available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.