The Health Sector Response to Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Reproductive Health Programs in the Commonwealth and...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Global Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and girls (VAWG) are intrinsically linked to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) challenges.
• These challenges include unintended pregnancies, maternal, gynecological, and mental health issues.
• GBV significantly impacts abortion risk, necessitating a coordinated health sector response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review health sector responses to GBV, VAWG, and SRHR across diverse contexts.
• To identify best practices, shared experiences, and lessons learned.
• To understand the extent of coordinated health facility-based responses.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods systematic review adhering to PRISMA-P guidelines.
• Inclusion of research papers from the last 15 years in 24 Commonwealth and 7 selected African countries.
• Extensive database searches including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and others.

Main Results:

• An initial search identified 38,200 studies; 60 studies are currently eligible for inclusion.
• The majority of included studies originate from Eastern Africa (34), South Africa (14), and Asia (13).
• Evidence will be disseminated through publications, seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Conclusions:

• The study will generate crucial evidence to guide recommendations for health sectors.
• Findings will inform strategies to address and mitigate the effects of GBV and VAWG on SRHR outcomes.
• The research aims to improve coordinated health services in Commonwealth and selected African countries.