Minimum Initial Service Package for Sexual and Reproductive Health

Features | by Almi Atienza

What is the Minimum Initial Service Package for Sexual and Reproductive Health (MISP for SRH)? And what can local government leaders do to ensure continuous delivery of SRH needs amid emergencies? To answer these questions and more, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) came up with an informational video and a technical roadmap following the colloquium of ZFF’s MISP for SRH training course.

A partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and funded by Australian Aid, the training course strengthened the competencies of provincial leaders to implement life-saving SRH information and services during natural disasters and other public health emergencies. The program aims to avoid overlooking the provision of family planning (FP) commodities and counseling during emergencies and prevent life-threatening complications for pregnant women and girls.

Pilot sites

Three pilot provinces were chosen due to their situations that contribute to increased maternal and infant deaths and a high incidence of gender-based violence. Catanduanes was hit by back-to-back typhoons; Laguna experienced high COVID-19 cases; while Maguindanao faced instability wrought by protracted armed conflicts.

During the colloquium, Catanduanes reported 90% accomplishment of targets. Among the province’s milestones was the drafting of Executive Order no. 19. s. 2022, which is an order “Re-organizing The Provincial Reproductive Health Coordinating Team for MISP-SRH of Catanduanes” to institutionalize its MISP for SRH initiatives.  

For Laguna, the next step is to properly monitor and verify the services that are already being implemented under its Provincial MISP for SRH Roadmap.  The province expanded its core team to include the other sectors to ensure collaborative efforts toward the implementation of MISP for SRH.

Meanwhile, Maguindanao will be incorporating its MISP for SRH plans into the provincial disaster risk resilience and management plan. Health care services in the province were also added to the administration’s 10-point development agenda for 2023 to 2025.

MISP for SRH training course

The executive course uses a blended learning approach through asynchronous sessions and online workshops with participants from the offices of the governor, vice governor, provincial health, provincial disaster risk reduction and management, budget, social welfare and development, planning and development, and administrator.

The MISP for SRH is a set of priority activities during emergencies that prevent and manage SRH issues and help plan for comprehensive SRH services during the recovery and rehabilitation phase of an emergency response. Activities include the continued provision of FP commodities and counseling and establishing women and child-friendly health spaces. Participants will acquire the basic leadership knowledge, skills, and attitude to create a shared change agenda and more responsive plan to address the gaps in their health systems toward increasing access to SRH services.

For inquiries about the MISP for SRH program, email communications@zuelligfoundation.org.

(Published October 28, 2022)

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