By Ghita Antra – Assistant Regional Director for Programs Quality- COVID 19 Task Force Member
Dear Friends,
COVID-19 has greatly impacted Arab World Region members and their services and operations. Given our geographic scope, we are responding to the pandemic at different stages of the spread – with the first wave now taking shape in some countries, while some others are now reaching their peak. In addition, the humanitarian crises in countries such as Syria and Yemen has added additional constraints to response efforts.
In spite of these unique challenges, we have been inspired by members in the region who are using several innovative approaches to ensure continuity of essential SRHR service provision for women, girls and vulnerable groups. Alongside a global trend for digital healthcare and telemedicine, members are adapting their annual programmes and budgets to respond to the current situation, with support from the Arab World Regional (AWR) Office.
Ensuring continuity of SRH service provision is our prime concern. In Palestine, a hotline has been set up to support GBV survivors, providing counselling and follow up with public health facilities and the police, and ensuring women are offered protection during the lockdown.
Our Sudan Member Association has launched a call centre aiming at sustaining SRH service provision, including telephone counselling service, in support of women and men across the country’s 17 states.
Also, volunteer doctors and psychosocial assistants from the Morocco Member Association are mobilizing to provide remote medical and psychosocial support and guidance to the public. Our Member Association in Tunisia continues providing migrants, especially pregnant and postpartum women with a range of SRH services.
COVID-19 prevention and hygiene kits, including facemasks, hand sanitizers and gloves are also being distributed at community level in Morocco and Palestine. Online awareness raising, particularly through social media has further helped our Member Associations connect and reach a broader audience with advice and key information on sexual and reproductive health and COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Responding to COVID-19 in humanitarian crisis settings has added complications, where a large number of internally displaced people and refugees have been deprived of access to minimum initial service packages, where service deliver points (SDPs) have been closed or member activities reduced. In Yemen and Syria access to, and provision of PPE has been particularly hard to secure. To ensure safety of frontline healthcare providers, the Syrian Family Planning Association is now using its women and girls safe spaces to sew masks and make hand sanitizers for the member staff.
In countries such as Somaliland and Mauritania, where COVID-19 cases remain relatively low, preventive measures are being put in place, such as extra hand washing facilities in clinics, to ensure service providers and SDPs beneficiaries are better protected.
Throughout these efforts, connection and peer-to-peer support across our region and members has been integral to our work. To support this connection, AWR office will be initiating a webinar series, which provides a platform for members to connect, exchange best practice, and discuss the package of technical assistance materials shared by the IPPF COVID-19 Taskforce.
While significant challenges remain to our work, the situation has presented an opportunity for us to consider new and innovative ways of working, including a shift from traditional service provision models. We know that the world is changing, and that these new approaches will be of the utmost importance, both now and after the crisis.
The COVID-19 Taskforce Microsite and slack channel have been invaluable to share news throughout the Federation. Please do continue to engage with each other and the Taskforce through these channels.
And you can stay up to date on the work of the Taskforce through the actions and decisions page here: Actions and decisions from the COVID-19 Taskforce
In solidarity,
Ghita Antra
COVID-19 Taskforce