Ensuring delivery of sexual and reproductive health and rights amidst the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency of global concern and has very high potential for the transmission across the world. As the whole world is fighting the battle against this novel viral infection, a series of capacity building and strengthening measures has been implemented across different settings to break the chain of transmission and reduce incidence of case as well as attributed deaths. However, from the perspective of women, some of the lifesaving reproductive health services have been compromised and there is a definite possibility of a rise in the incidence of gender-based violence. In the global mission to attain universal health coverage, there is an indispensable need to not ignore these essential obstetric care services, otherwise we will lose all the gains achieved so far. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to interfere with the routine delivery of essential and emergency obstetric care. Thus, it is the need of the hour to take appropriate measures and improve the preparedness level to ensure that even during these times we sustain the delivery of quality assured sexual and reproductive health services.