As COVID-19 continues to challenge communities around the world, UNFPA is finding innovative ways to deliver essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) interventions. Where feasible, remote and tele-health service delivery has become critical in reaching women, girls and young people."
In May, UNFPA produced its updated COVID-19 Global Response Plan with an appeal of $370 million. The plan highlights the scale of negative consequences and potential impact if there are major disruptions to health services and prevention programmes, and prolonged lockdowns: 47 million women may lack access to modern contraceptives; 7 million unintended pregnancies; 31 million additional cases of GBV, and 2 million female genital mutilation cases."
UNFPA is prioritizing the continuity and adaptation of SRH and GBV services, including GBV prevention and mitigation, risk communication and community engagement, and mitigating the supply chain impact for lifesaving supplies including modern contraceptives, maternal health drugs and personal protective equipment (PPE)."
As the world confronts this unprecedented and far-reaching crisis, UNFPA is engaging public and private partnerships, globally and at field level, to support the development of new technologies and innovative solutions."
To guide and support UNFPA and partners’ work on ground, a body of technical briefs to adapt to the needs of the pandemic has continued to be developed. In May, UNFPA contributed to three critical pieces of work including: UN Secretary-General’s Policy brief on people on the move: “the COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to reimagine human mobility” and Policy brief on COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health, and the WHO Maintaining essential health services: operational guidance for the COVID-19 context.
UNFPA’s actions to address COVID-19 are conducted in the context of the WHO global strategic preparedness and response plan, the Covid-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, and UNFPA COVID-19 Global Response Plan and emerging socio-economic support frameworks.
