Provision of sexual and reproductive health care services for refugees in Greece on the backdrop of the Minimum Initial Service Package: a scoping review
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Background: In times of forced displacement disturbance in health care services result in negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. In 2015, more than a million refugees arrived at the shores of Europe. Greece is one of the countries that hosts most of the refugees. Humanitarian organizations repeatedly report unacceptable life conditions and inadequate health services in the camps. The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) was designed as a guideline to assure a standard minimum of sexual and reproductive health services in humanitarian settings. However, no study has been conducted to investigate the extent that the MISP has been implemented in Greece.
Aim: The aim of this scoping review is to explore the sexual and reproductive health care services for refugees in Greece on the backdrop of the Minimum Initial Service Package, document the provided services and identify gaps.
Methodology: The study design is a scoping review. Electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles in English which entail studies that were conducted between January 2015 and December 2021. Gray-literature from websites of humanitarian organizations were equally included if they featured sexual and reproductive health services for refugees in Greece. The analysis is conducted in a descriptive way in accordance with the MISP’s objectives.
Result: The analysis reveals the uneven distribution of research attention which leads to a lack of data on coordination, STI treatment, family planning services, and safe abortion care, while much research focuses on sexual violence prevention and response. Gaps in protection, support services for survivors, postnatal care, and clinical rape management were identified. Limitations to access services exist that hinder refugees to receive quality care.
Conclusion: This work is unique in its focus and enables researchers and decision-makers to compare the European humanitarian response against the MISP which is a guideline for SRH service provision and features a set of minimum interventions. The findings reveal many inadequacies in a range of SRH care services and protection interventions besides an overwhelmed European humanitarian response.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022.
Keywords [en]
Sexual and reproductive health, Minimum Initial Service Package, Greece, refugees, asylum seekers, scoping review
National Category
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:du-41806OAI: oai:DiVA.org:du-41806DiVA, id: diva2:1679739
Subject / course
Sexual Reproductive Perinatal Health
2022-07-012022-07-012022-07-01