Uganda currently hosts 1.4 million refugees and conflict-affected people. Known as the “best place” in Africa to be a refugee, Uganda’s policies encourage self-sufficiency and local integration. However, many refugees, particularly women and girls, face persistent challenges. Understanding the reproductive health needs of this population and exploring the accessibility of services for conflict-affected populations in this low-income host country is a priority. This multi-methods study aimed to assess the reproductive health needs of displaced Congolese women in camp- and urban-based settings in Uganda. We interviewed key informants, facilitated focus group discussions with refugee women, and conducted in-depth interviews with Congolese women of reproductive age to better understand knowledge, attitudes, practices, and services. Our results suggest that Congolese refugees have significant unmet reproductive health needs. Maternal health and delivery care is characterized by insufficient human resources, inconsistent medication availability, discrimination, bribery, and communications challenges. The availability of contraceptive products, including emergency contraception, is limited in camp-based settings due to supply-chain management challenges and theft by staff; lack of contraceptive knowledge among Congolese refugees shapes use. Finally, the legal restrictions on abortion lead to unsafe practices among refugees and pose a barrier to the provision of post-abortion care. This study provides insight for opportunities to improve the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services to refugees in Uganda to ensure that the infrastructure and processes align with national policies and international guidelines.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/38394 |
| Date | 05 November 2018 |
| Creators | Nara, Ruth |
| Contributors | Foster, Angel |
| Publisher | Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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