& Family Planning
THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN CONTINUE SUPPORTING UKRAINE IN IMPROVING OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES
4 maternity clinics in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia oblasts renovated and capacitated to provide essential medicines and services for maternal heath
The Woman Health & Family Planning Foundation / WHFP, which is IPPF’s Member Association in Ukraine, continues to work towards improving access to quality reproductive health services for the population of Ukraine with support of the Japanese Government.
WHFP launches a new project aimed at restoring access to lifesaving reproductive health services for populations affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine. The project will be implemented in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions by December 2024 and will be focused on
- strengthening the capacity of health facilities and health providers on comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services;
- increasing availability of first-line support and referral services for survivors of sexual and gender based violence;
- increase awareness and demand among women and youth on sexual and reproductive health services through online and in-person information sharing.
The four pilot health facilities are already selected. The hospitals in Dnipropetrovsk region are the Kryvyi Rih Perinatal Center with Inpatient Unit, the Kryvyi Rih City Maternity Hospital and Pavlograd city maternity hospital, while in Zaporizhzhia we will work in the City Maternity Hospital #4. Considering the difficulties which these regions experience due to the war, there are many urgent needs and challenges to be solved. Unfortunately, the sexual and reproductive health is not under the proper focus, although is in demand.
The issue of gender-based violence has come to the fore (especially due to military crimes committed by Russian soldiers), and the gender inequality has increased. Women and young people are extremely vulnerable and need protection and support on all levels, including the availability of professional medical assistance, psychological, social and juridical support. Thus, the project will invest in the reproductive health services strengthening and availability as well as on raisin the population’s awareness about this.
“During this project we pay special attention to the regions that suffered from the accident at the Kakhovka Dam. One of our main tasks is enhancing the availability of qualitative reproductive health services, including services for people who survived gender based violence. Due to the support of the Government of Japan and our partners from the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), we see many prospects to improve the health of Ukrainians” – stated Galyna Maistruk, an executive director of WHFP.
As part of the project, WHFP will
- invest into restoring the maternity and delivery rooms and ensure that the essential medicine for maternal health is available for all in need;
- support 120 providers in given emergency obstetric and newborn care, and modern methods of contraception, providing the first-line support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence;
- develop and share information materials to raise awareness of women, girls and youth about the availability of services of sexual and reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence.
- use digital tools and channels to share important information among women, men and young people.
This is the second project in the sector of reproductive health, which is funded by the Government of Japan and supported by IPPF in Ukraine. The first project - “Mitigation of the Consequences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Facilitating Access to Essential Services and CSE for Conflict-Affected People in Ukraine” was implemented during January 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024 in Poltava and Odesa regions. Due to its interventions, 6 hospitals in Poltava and Odesa regions were provided with necessary medicines and supplies, as well as information materials, over 100 medical doctors, nurses and midwives were trained on the clinical management of sexual assault and 50 educators got ToT on comprehensive sexual education. Almost 37,500 people got reproductive health services (incl. gender-based violence services) in pilot hospitals, 3 500 adolescents and young people were trained on reproductive and sexual health topics and intersectional collaboration in the field of reproductive health was strengthened in Poltava and Odesa regions.
In the frame of the Ukrainian-Japanese project the Charitable Foundation “Women’s Health and Family Planning” conducted the first trainings for medical professionals from Poltava region on providing comprehensive assistance to people who suffered from gender-based violence.
During 5-day training more than 60 specialists (obstetrician-gynecologists, anesthesiologists, midwives, nurses and primary healthcare specialists) from the project pilot facilities have been improving their knowledge in providing psycho-social assistance, legal support and medical assistance to persons affected by gender-related violence. The theoretical part was supplemented with various practical tasks, discussions and debates, examples from the practice of both trainers and participants.
According to the participants’ feedback, the training was interesting and useful for them as specialists who work in the field of reproductive health and periodically in their practice face the women who have suffered from violence. The problem of sexual and gender-based violence has become especially acute during the war in Ukraine, because quite a lot of women moved to Poltava region from the occupied territories and territories where hostilities are taking place.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to go deeper into the topic of gender-based violence and look at it not only from the point of view of medical aspects, but also psychological and legal assistance. Due to the training, we will feel more confident in cases when women who have experienced violence turn to us," said one of the participants of the training.
The trainings were organized and conducted within the framework of the project “Mitigation of the Consequences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Facilitation of the Access to Essential Services and CSE for Conflict-Affected People in Ukraine”, which is being implemented by the Charity Foundation “Woman Health and Family Planning” with support of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Government of Japan. The project is under implementation in Poltava and Odesa regions during 2023.
The Government of Japan support WHFP to protect Ukrainian women’s sexual and reproductive health
Woman Health & Family Planning Foundation / WHFP, which is IPPF’s Member Association in Ukraine, continues to work towards improving access to quality medical services for people who have suffered from sexual and gender-based violence, as well as providing comprehensive sexual education to young people in Ukraine.
Funded by the Government of Japan and supported by the International Planned Parenthood Federation / IPPF, WHFP is implementing the project "Mitigate the Consequences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Facilitate Access to Essential Services and CSE for Conflict-Affected People in Ukraine."
During the war, women and girls are particularly vulnerable, facing an increased risk of sexual violence, unwanted pregnancy, exposure to sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), and pregnancy and childbirth complications. War exacerbates gender inequality, and women often face the impact of armed conflict. They face war crimes, including the use of sexual violence as a weapon, and the increase in domestic violence. Young people who are often forgotten are also greatly affected by war and vulnerable. The emotional and psychosocial impact on teenagers living in wartime is enormous. Due to population displacement, medical facilities in the project's target regions are under heavy pressure and face a severe lack of medicines and supplies.
The project will be implemented in Poltava and Odesa regions in cooperation with regional administrations, local NGOs, experts, and partners working in the field of SHRH.
As part of the project, WHFP:
- will deliver medicines and supplies to prevent GBV consequences to the healthcare facilities, in particular, post-rape care kits, emergency and short and long-term contraception;
- will train doctors to provide medical services to GBV survivors;
- will train educators to implement comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for young people;
- will actively cooperate with young people in Odesa and Poltava regions through regional partners and communicate more about the CSE needs of young people.
The project will be implemented until the end of 2023 and will complement other WHFP activities in SHRH and GBV response.
WHFP and IPPF would like to thank the people of Japan for supporting this essential project.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dear friends! From all our hearts we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Let these holidays - the shepherds of renewal, dreams and hopes - bring you and your family goodness, peace and prosperity, add strength, inspiration and confidence in the future! We wish the New Year will fill your homes with family comfort, harmony, and happiness! Let the glittering Christmas star unite us all with the pure light of inexhaustible human virtues and values.
Warm regards, Galina Maistruk and the team of the Woman Health & Family Planning Charity Foundation, Kyiv, Ukraine