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Cited by 92Health and Conflict StudiesReproductive Health and ContraceptionGlobal Maternal and Child Health

Evaluations of reproductive health programs in humanitarian settings: a systematic review

Open access
Casey, Sara E·2015·Conflict and Health
DOI 10.1186/1752-1505-9-s1-s1PMC PMC4328944
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Abstract

Provision of reproductive health (RH) services is a minimum standard of health care in humanitarian settings; however access to these services is often limited. This systematic review, one component of a global evaluation of RH in humanitarian settings, sought to explore the evidence regarding RH services provided in humanitarian settings and to determine if programs are being evaluated. In addition, the review explored which RH services receive more attention based on program evaluations and descriptive data. Peer-reviewed papers published between 2004 and 2013 were identified via the Ovid MEDLINE database, followed by a PubMed search. Papers on quantitative evaluations of RH programs, including experimental and non-experimental designs that reported outcome data, implemented in conflict and natural disaster settings, were included. Of 5,669 papers identified in the initial search, 36 papers describing 30 programs met inclusion criteria. Twenty-five papers described programs in sub-Saharan Africa, six in Asia, two in Haiti and three reported data from multiple countries. Some RH technical areas were better represented than others: seven papers reported on maternal and newborn health (including two that also covered family planning), six on family planning, three on sexual violence, 20 on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and two on general RH topics. In comparison to the program evaluation papers identified, three times as many papers were found that reported RH descriptive or prevalence data in humanitarian settings. While data demonstrating the magnitude of the problem are crucial and were previously lacking, the need for RH services and for evaluations to measure their effectiveness is clear. Program evaluation and implementation science should be incorporated into more programs to determine the best ways to serve the RH needs of people affected by conflict or natural disaster. Standard program design should include rigorous program evaluation, and the results must be shared. The papers demonstrated both that RH programs can be implemented in these challenging settings, and that women and men will use RH services when they are of reasonable quality.

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  • The past decade has seen a push toward understanding ANC utilization behavior and the effects of targeted community-based programs in crisis settings.

    “The past decade has seen a push toward understanding ANC utilization behavior and the effects of targeted community-based programs, including the training of community health workers, home visits, and peer-led educational campaigns on ANC utilization and facility-based deliveries in crisis settings [18, 28–30].”

    From Predictors of antenatal care utilization among the Rohingya population in the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (2025) · cites this paper as [28]

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Authors
Casey, S. E.
Affiliations
Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Casey, Sara E
ORCID
Casey, Sara E
Venue
Conflict and Health
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-02-02
Volume
9
Issue
S1
Pages
S1-S1
ISSN
1752-1505 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/1752-1505-9-s1-s1
PMC
PMC4328944
OpenAlex
W1494271391
Cited by
92
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4
FWCI
1.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Conflict and Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Conflict Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
Keywords
reproductive health services, humanitarian settings, program evaluation, conflict settings, natural disasters, maternal and newborn health, family planning, sexual violence, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, implementation science, access to services, sub-Saharan Africa

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