Abstract
“Are Reproductive Health Policies and Related Documents Inclusive of Women with Disability? A Policy Content Analysis Using EquiFrame”
APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo
Method: Policy documents were identified through online search and collaboration with individuals from the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. Health policy documents were selected if they were related to reproductive health or its element and developed by the government for domestic use. The EquiFrame framework was employed as a tool to systematically analyze the content of documents against 21 core concepts.
Result: A total of eleven policy and policy-related documents were included: guidelines (n = 6, 54.5%), strategies (n = 2, 18.2%), plans (n = 2, 18.2%), and policies (n = 1, 9.1%). Most policies and related documents (7, 63.6%) have a core concept coverage of below fifty percent. None of the policies included in this review demonstrated core concept quality above 50%. Additionally, 10 (47.6%) of the core concepts have an average score of two or above out of four.
Conclusion: Although Ethiopia's constitution guarantees disability rights, the implicit low inclusion of women with disabilities in reproductive health documents is concerning and requires action. Comprehensive strategies, action plans and monitoring mechanisms are needed to ensure meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in reproductive health policies.
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice Provision of health care to the public Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines Public health or related public policy Public health or related research