Sexual and reproductive health education for women in a migrant camp in Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

Abstract Serbia borders the European Union (EU). It hosts 18 migrant camps for migrants/refugees blocked from entering the EU. A camp in Belgrade, houses 450 people, most residing there for over a year. The women are vulnerable due to no/low education, early marriage, multiple children, perilous journeys travelled, shared basic accommodation, and uncertain status/futures. The UN sustainable development goal 3 highlights the importance of improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in humanitarian settings. SRH education empowers women to plan/prevent pregnancies, prevent spread of sexually transmitted infections, and to know when to see a doctor. Many migrant camps exist across Europe housing similarly vulnerable women who would benefit from SRH education. The objectives were to 1. Create a safe space for sharing SRH concerns; 2. Assess knowledge and needs; 3. Develop and deliver a bespoke SRH programme in collaboration with the women; 4. Assess impact on knowledge. I facilitated SRH discussions and built rapport, the women then completed an anonymous questionnaire assessing knowledge/needs. I developed a series of monthly SRH workshops delivered over a year. The questions posed were 1. Was SRH education needed/desired? 2. Would women attend? 3. Would SRH knowledge improve? The discussions and questionnaire demonstrated the need and desire for SRH education. 4-10 women (average 8) attended each workshop, with open discussions generated. The women's knowledge increased, extrapolated from workshop activities and qualitative feedback. These migrant women had an unmet need for SRH education, which was addressed via this programme. It demonstrated an increase in SRH knowledge, enabling informed SRH decision making and ultimately improving public health. Migrant women reside in camps across Europe, and would benefit from this programme. Creating a collaborative, bespoke SRH programme with migrant women in transit across Europe is both innovative and important. Key messages Vulnerable female migrants residing in a migrant camp in Belgrade had an unmet need/desire for sexual and reproductive health education which was addressed via a bespoke programme of SRH workshops. Migrant camps exist across Europe housing vulnerable women who urgently require access to good quality sexual and reproductive health education and care in order to improve overall public health.