Displaced but not forgotten: Organisations delivering family planning services to Abuja's IDP camps

When the coronavirus pandemic caused lockdowns in Africa, many community members became hesitant to continue taking part in malaria prevention efforts for fear of contracting COVID-19, so health care workers began visiting people at their own homes to deliver both malaria and coronavirus information. Since the effort started, more people have begun to go back to the hospitals for treatment.

In the Philipines, contraception has been hard to find resulting in many parents without money to feed their children, unsafe abortions, and poor maternal health. A new reproductive law aims to change this by allowing contraception in clinics to help women take control of their reproductive systems.

The Inspire Women, Men and Children (IWMC) youth empowerment group is teaching women and young girls how to construct reusable sanitary pads in an effort to address period poverty and prevent them from missing school and work during menstruation. The group follows up with students to ensure they’ve properly constructed pads with safe materials and also further educates teachers on how to provide support to students who menstruate.

Brencare Foundation’s Safe Space Project meets once a week within local schools to provide menstrual health, hygiene, sexual and gender-based violence education to girls in need. So far, the Foundation has reached about 5,000 women and girls across several communities with its education efforts.

The Balm in the Gilead Foundation (BIGIF) gathers survivors of female genital mutilation to become advocates in their community for the end of the practice. BIGIF has over 300 volunteers across the country and has reached over 100 women and girls with its messaging. BIGIF visits schools and churches, go door-to-door, hosts walks and even runs a 30-minute radio program to raise awareness and educate community members.

PLAN International is a global organization that works to increase the rights and access to gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly, and inclusive menstrual health management. The organization set up Pad Banks in schools and has also partnered with local advocacy groups to train and educate young women and girls on menstrual health and hygiene, all in hopes to address stigma, misinformation, and period poverty.

Tucheze Mtaani provides sexual reproductive health education support to young, school-age girls, specifically those in remote, rural areas where access to menstrual products and sexual education is scarce. The group provides educational resources, mentorships and counseling, as well as access to pads and sanitary supplies within schools to ensure girls feel supported at school and no longer have to miss days or drop out altogether.

As Covid-19 spread throughout regions of South Africa, public health clinics began reporting seeing fewer patients for HIV viral load testing due to shelter-in-place orders. In trying to mitigate the longterm implications of people missing their appointments, a few HIV specialists have joined the frontlines in local communities to act as both coronavirus testers and information conduits for HIV programs.

In Nashua, New Hampshire, public health officials have set up a Covid-19 testing site in the parking lot of a church to better serve minority communities. The testing site caters to both drive-up and walk-up appointments, and those who setup the site, are also taking part in a community outreach program that aims to better disperse information to local residents.

New Hampshire's community mental health centers are working together to deliver both in-person and telehealth services to community members during the coronavirus pandemic. All 10 of the state's centers are "sharing ideas and helping each other with what is working and identifying what isn’t working," while also working to help reduce barriers to health care access for those experiencing homelessness.