Refugees face various health challenges including access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information and services, with young refugees being disproportionately affected by these challenges.
According to the World Health Organization, “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”.
Kenya is a host to refugees and asylum seekers primarily from Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. This has resulted in an increased urban refugee population in Nairobi.
In order to promote the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, HIAS Kenya conceptualized a project aimed at improving refugees’ access to high quality and safe SRH information and services.
With support from Hivos, through the Regional SRHR Fund, HIAS Kenya supported youth refugees’ access to SRHR in Nairobi using two strategies: promoting increased and sustained access to comprehensive, high quality SRH services in urban areas; and advocating for policies that support the sexual and reproductive rights of refugees. They implemented the project by educating the community, engaging the State, and building evidence for their advocacy work.
Watch the the video of the case study:We showcase HIAS Kenya’s approach in promoting inclusive access to SRH information and services and the highest attainable standard of health for youth in humanitarian settings. The case study is part of the Regional SRHR Fund’s documentation of case studies aimed at supporting cross learning and knowledge sharing to enable organizations conceptualize, design and coordinate adolescent SRHR advocacy. This initiative has been made possible with support from Sida through the Regional SRHR Team at the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka.
