BACKGROUND

Gender Based Violence (GBV) is not only a human rights violation but also a serious public health problem because of its physical, mental, as well as sexual and reproductive health consequences. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) developed a treatment protocol to help health workers provide better quality care to GBV survivors and strengthen the overall health sector response to this issue.

OVERVIEW

USAID’s Gender-Based Violence Treatment Protocol project provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver high-quality and compassionate care to GBV survivors while strengthening the public health system.

ACTIVITIES

• Conduct a health facility assessment to determine what is needed to support healthcare providers to identify, treat, document and refer GBV cases.
• Build capacity of about 6,500 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, health managers and midwives) to implement the GBV Protocol in 34 provinces; Provide on-the-job training, mentoring and support to healthcare professionals on GBV case management.
• Develop and distribute information, education and communication products for healthcare providers and communities to inform and educate on health and GBV issues.
• Strengthen the health system to provide GBV care by providing necessary supplies and equipment for health facilities, develop operational policies and checklists, and establish administrative and monitoring systems.
• Make the protocol a key part of medical, nursing and midwifery school curricula.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Provided 140 five-day initial workshops to approximately 3,500 public health care providers. The percentage of female participants was 58 percent.
• Trained approximately 600 health care providers and provided refresher training to over 200 health managers.
• Mentored roughly 3,050 health care providers with on-the-job support
• GBV Treatment Protocol is now included in the syllabus of Afghanistan's Community Health Nursing Education Program
• Supported MoPH in the revision of Gender and Human rights strategy (2017-2021)
• 93 percent of 3430 trained health care providers showed 35 percent or more improvement in pre¬ and post-tests;
• Provided public health facilities in 7 provinces with curtains, gowns and pre-packaged post rape treatment kits upon completion of training.
• Supported World Health Organization and the Ministry of Public Health’s distribution of 6,000 posters and 2,500 job aids (desk flipcharts) as an easy GBV reference guide for health care providers. To raise awareness, 116 billboards were installed in all 11 targeted provinces.
• Roughly 4200 resource materials (clinical handbooks, copies of Treatment Protocol and Participants’ Manuals) were distributed across seven provinces.
• Conducted baseline assessment in 14 provinces for the 2nd phase of the Project
• Conducted end line evaluation of the first phase of the Project in seven target provinces