WHO is strengthening Ukraine’s response to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) by constructing the capability of well being care employees and well being care services to offer survivor-centred care.
With funding from the Authorities of Canada and assist from the Ministry of Well being and civil society organizations, WHO in Ukraine skilled greater than 60 docs, nurses and well being facility managers from the Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv areas on service provision for GBV survivors.
Primarily based on WHO tips and nationwide laws on sexual and gender-based violence, the 2-day coaching geared up well being care employees with the information and expertise to determine indicators of violence, ship acceptable scientific care and psychosocial assist, and supply acceptable referrals to social and authorized assist providers.
“The well being sector performs a vital function in responding to gender-based violence, together with bodily, sexual and emotional violence, all of which might have critical penalties for bodily, psychological and reproductive well being,” defined Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Consultant in Ukraine.
“For the reason that Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in February, there’s an elevated publicity of ladies and different inhabitants teams to sexual and gender-based violence, making prevention and response efforts much more necessary,” he added. “WHO is dedicated to supporting Ukraine in addressing gender-based violence as an pressing public well being matter and making certain that these experiencing violence obtain high-quality, survivor-centred care.”
For some individuals, their physician could also be their solely assist
GBV is a widespread human rights violation with public well being penalties. In keeping with present estimates, 2 of each 3 Ukrainian girls have skilled psychological, bodily, or sexual violence of their lifetime and 18% of ladies and women aged 15–49 have skilled intimate accomplice violence. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has elevated sexual and gender-based violence, together with conflict-related sexual violence. But, most circumstances are by no means reported.
“Presently greater than 90% of ladies who’ve skilled violence don’t contact the police,” stated Yefimenko Olena Volodymyrivna, Director of the Well being Division of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration. “Nonetheless, if medical issues come up because of the violence, they may search medical consideration. That is why docs have to be certified to determine indicators of violence and to offer help as effectively as attainable. Trainings comparable to this are essential with the intention to construct a complete system of help to survivors in all well being services.”
Ukraine ratified the Council of Europe’s Conference on Stopping and Combating Violence towards Ladies and Home Violence, also called the Istanbul Conference, in June 2022, setting minimal requirements for the prevention, safety, and prosecution of violence towards girls and home violence. The Authorities of Ukraine, supported by WHO, is dedicated to stepping up nationwide well being sector response and assist mechanisms for survivors of violence.
“As household docs, we should perceive that working with gender-based violence survivors is our responsibility and a part of our day by day work,” stated Svitlana Vedmid, a household physician and medical director working within the Dnipro area and one of many coaching individuals. “Household docs are sometimes the first hyperlink to different providers, comparable to psychological well being providers, and they’re additionally usually the primary to contact for these experiencing violence. For some individuals, their physician could also be their solely assist if one thing occurs.”
“My motivation to assist GBV survivors is empathy,” added Tetyana Volkovich, a household physician from Pavlograd within the Dnipropetrovsk area. “A health care provider ought to assist an individual as a human. And after this coaching we’ve extra information and instruments for this. Earlier we offered details about circumstances of violence to our administration however now we’ve adopted a plan on how one can act independently in such circumstances and we’ve discovered the numbers of cell groups and shelters in our metropolis.”
WHO, following suggestions within the World Well being Meeting 67.15 Decision and the Technique on girls’s well being and well-being within the WHO European Area, continues to strengthen Ukraine’s well being sector response to sexual and gender-based violence to make sure life-saving care for ladies, women and different at-risk teams, together with individuals residing with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ group and displaced individuals. Along with the Ministry of Well being and civil society companions, WHO plans to scale up trainings for well being care suppliers in 8 areas as a part of ongoing humanitarian response efforts.
