United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines expressed concern that the pandemic has made reproductive health (RH) services less accessible, leading to gender-based violence and teen pregnancies.
In a news statement, UNFPA said gender-based violence may have increased by 20 percent due to the pandemic, but most of these cases may go unreported. This leaves many women at the mercy of their abusers during the lockdown.
“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to strain the access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health services in the Philippines, leaving women and young people more vulnerable,” Leila Joudane, UNFPA
country representative in the Philippines said.
The UNFPA called on the national government, and nongovernment partners to reinforce their policies to ensure the availability of maternal health, family planning, including supplies, and GBV protection.
It is also important to include response information and services, which adapts to the Covid context, including availability of helplines, clear referral pathways, among others.
UNFPA said such services should also integrate health, psychosocial support, case management, security, and socioeconomic support, especially to victim-survivors of gender-based violence. These life-saving mechanisms should also reach the community level.
Given the risks associated with adolescent pregnancies, the UNFPA said health facilities should consider them priority cases and ensure provision of appropriate services without discrimination, especially in areas where adolescents are not allowed to go out under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) guidelines.
UNFPA also said the need to ensure minimum number of beds and staffing in OB wards for either Covid-positive or negative pregnant women in facilities with high virus infection cases remain critical and life-saving.
Further, since pregnancy increases the risk of severe Covid-19 illness, pregnant women are also recommended to get vaccinated by discussing it with their health-care providers.
“Sustained attention and support to women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health choices and rights, and freedom from violence are equally important as we continue to fight against Covid-19,” Joudane added.
UNFPA Philippines said its recent assessment showed the country’s high Covid-19 cases reported are found in major urban areas.
These areas are also end-referral facilities providing critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services such as Maternal Health Services, Family Planning, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Protection and Response Services.
Data showed 54 provinces and cities are currently in the highest alert level for Covid-19 cases or Alert Level 4, while 28 provinces and cities are in Alert Level 3, and 27 provinces and cities are in Alert Level 2 across the 17 regions in the country.