Resilience, Adaptation and Action: MSI’s response to COVID-19


As COVID-19 continues to devastate lives and communities across the world, MSI shares new data on the impact of access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and Rights (SRHR) in our new report: Resilience, Adaptation and Action: MSI’s response to COVID-19.

Nurse Mary Wanjiku Kiari uses improvised hand washing facilities at an MSI-supported clinic in Juja outside Nairobi.

Across the 37 countries where we work, we have seen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive healthcare access and rights. With national lockdowns restricting movement, lack of information about what services are available, supply chain disruptions and overwhelmed health systems diverting resources to the COVID-19 response, access to SRHR has been restricted and barriers have increased.

To help us better understand the impact on reproductive health services, we commissioned a survey with Ipsos MORI, asking an online sample of 1000 women aged 16-50 per country in the UK, South Africa and India about their experiences and awareness of sexual and reproductive healthcare before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey’s findings align with our concerns that barriers to access would increase and fewer women would have access to essential reproductive health services. Across MSI’s programs from January to June 2020, 1.9 million fewer women have been served by MSI’s programs due to COVID-19 related disruptions. We estimate that this will lead to 1.5 million additional unsafe abortions, 900,000 additional unintended pregnancies, and 3,100 additional maternal deaths.

But our data also shows that the impact of COVID-19 on women’s access to reproductive health services has not been as grave as initially expected. Our programs have rapidly adapted to ensure access can be maintained, tailoring their responses to local contexts and national government responses. Thanks to the perseverance of our providers and the flexibility of our governments and partners, the story has also been one of resilience and adaptation.

Our findings provide a snapshot of the current crisis. It is important to remember that in many countries the worst effects of COVID-19 are yet to come. There are cost-effective and simple solutions that when implemented can save lives and maintain access. We therefore continue to urge governments, donors and the global community to work together to prioritize access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services in their COVID-19 response to ensure women have timely access to essential services when needed most.

Click here to read the full report.

IMPACT STORIES

Real people, real stories, real solutions.

21 million futures transformed in 2022
Bodily autonomy

21 million futures transformed in 2022

In 2022, MSI saw unprecedented demand for sexual and reproductive health ... Read More

Meta and Google restrict health information 
Bodily autonomy

Meta and Google restrict health information 

MSI Reproductive Choices and the Center for Countering Digital Hate have ... Read More

Workshop with MPs in Madagascar on Comprehensive Sex Education
Uncategorized

Workshop with MPs in Madagascar on Comprehensive Sex Education

The SRHR coalition of the Forum Génération Egalité Madagascar, in collaboration ... Read More

View All