Reproductive Health Unit, Institute for Research in Health Sciences, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland.
BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 1;12(6):e057810. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057810.
COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented increase in demand on health systems to care for people infected, necessitating the allocation of significant resources, especially medical resources, towards the response. This, compounded by the restrictions on movement instituted may have led to disruptions in the provision of essential services, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. This study aims to assess the availability of contraception, comprehensive abortion care, sexually transmitted infection prevention and treatment and sexual and gender-based violence care and support services in local health facilities during COVID-19 pandemic. This is a standardised generic protocol designed for use across different global settings.
This study adopts both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess health facilities' SRH service availability and readiness, and clients' and providers' perceptions of the availability and readiness of these services in COVID-19-affected areas. The study has two levels: (1) perceptions of clients (and the partners) and healthcare providers, using qualitative methods, and (2) assessment of infrastructure availability and readiness to provide SRH services through reviews, facility service statistics for clients and a qualitative survey for healthcare provider perspectives. The health system assessment will use a cross-sectional panel survey design with two data collection points to capture changes in SRH services availability as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. Data will be collected using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and a health facility assessment survey.
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the WHO Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (protocol ID CERC.0103). Each study site is required to obtain the necessary ethical and regulatory approvals that are required in each specific country.
COVID-19 大流行导致对卫生系统的需求空前增加，需要大量资源来应对感染人群，特别是医疗资源。此外，由于实施了限制行动的措施，这可能导致基本服务（包括性健康和生殖健康服务）的提供中断。本研究旨在评估在 COVID-19 大流行期间，当地卫生机构中避孕、全面堕胎护理、性传播感染预防和治疗以及性暴力和基于性别的暴力护理和支持服务的提供情况。这是一个针对不同全球环境设计的标准化通用方案。
本研究采用定量和定性方法来评估卫生机构的 SRH 服务提供情况和准备情况，以及客户和提供者对 COVID-19 疫区这些服务的提供情况和准备情况的看法。本研究有两个层次：（1）客户（及其伴侣）和医疗保健提供者的看法，使用定性方法；（2）通过审查、客户的设施服务统计数据和医疗保健提供者观点的定性调查来评估基础设施的提供情况和准备情况以提供 SRH 服务。卫生系统评估将使用横断面面板调查设计，分两个数据收集点，以捕捉 COVID-19 疫情对 SRH 服务提供情况的变化。数据将通过焦点小组讨论、深入访谈和卫生设施评估调查收集。
本研究已获得世卫组织科学和伦理审查委员会的伦理批准（协议 ID CERC.0103）。每个研究地点都需要获得每个特定国家所需的必要伦理和监管批准。
