Global health emergencies disrupt SRH services as resources are diverted to respond to the immediate crisis
Global health emergencies disrupt SRH services as resources are diverted to respond to the immediate crisis
Without concrete guidance from the WHO, governments can do more harm than good – such as by banning or restricting abortions, which can lead to an increase in unsafe abortions. In the short term, policymakers should make contraceptives freely available, permit medical abortions at home in online consultations with a health professional, and develop a standard minimum SRH service package to be implemented at the onset of every future crisis. In the longer term, researchers should examine the context and impacts of reduced access to SRH services during the pandemic to enable governments and others to implement programs where they are most needed.