Adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs in humanitarian settings: An in-depth look at family planning services

Although adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) is receiving increased attention in humanitarian settings, there is little documentation of progress to date, or of programs that effectively integrate SRH services, including family planning, for this population. To address this gap, the Women's Refugee Commission and Save the Children undertook a year-long exercise to map existing ASRH programs that have been implemented since 2009 and document good practices. This was accomplished through a practitioner survey and humanitarian funding analyses; key informant interviews; and collection of good practice case studies. The survey reached 1,200 individuals through various related listservs. Based on the more than 200 responses, a mere 37 programs focused on the SRH needs of 10- to 19-year-olds in crisis-affected settings since 2009. Only 21 of these programs offered at least two methods of contraception, and none were in acute onset emergency settings. Proposals for ASRH through humanitarian funding streams also constituted less than 3.5 percent of all health proposals per year, and the majority of them have gone unfunded. Despite this lack of programming, notable practices for ASRH in crisis settings exist, and several programs showed promising approaches. Successful programs have secured community and adolescent involvement; are response to the different needs of adolescent sub-populations; and provide holistic and multi-sectoral services. An urgent need exists to scale-up SRH services to adolescents in humanitarian settings from acute emergency through protracted crises and development.