Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo, like many countries in Africa, has experienced years of conflict resulting in large numbers of displaced or transient persons and refugees. Living in a crisis setting or being forced to leave one's home exposes women and girls to limited access to health care, minimal or nonexistent community and family support, and greater vulnerability to sexual violence and exploitation, all of which can have a negative impact on reproductive health.

While significant progress has been made in raising awareness about reproductive health needs in emergency settings, there is still a need in DRC for multiple models of service delivery that address the evolving needs for reproductive health, family planning, and gender-based violence services at different stages of crises.

Pathfinder began working in eastern DRC in 2008 to identify flexible approaches and models for delivering reproductive health, family planning, and gender-based violence services in different phases of crises, with the goal of integrating the models into National Emergency Response Procedures. Pathfinder's work aims to reach internally displaced persons, refugees, and populations living in transition using a number of approaches and strategies, including:

• Community outreach for issues ranging from contraceptive distribution to behavior change;
• Advocacy aimed at addressing sexual and gender-based violence; and,
• Facility renovation to permit the upgrading of service.

Pathfinder approaches these strategies holistically, involving the community throughout implementation, supporting community supervision, and partnering with the government in order to create sustainable solutions for the future.