Page 12 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies COVID-19 and access to family planning in Africa

distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, many countries across and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),
the world implemented stringent control measures, such Ebola virus disease (EVD), and Middle East respiratory
as the lockdown of socioeconomic activities, restrictions syndrome (MERS), exerted a disproportionately greater
on local movements, and the suspension of international impact on marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly
travel, aimed at curbing human contacts and mitigating women and girls (Fan, 2020). The unequal distribution
the spread of the disease. of resources, limited access to health-care services,
diminished decision-making authority, lower educational
The COVID-19 measures effectively contained the
transmission of infections and mortality, preventing the status, and restricted mobility collectively impede women’s
capacity to meet their socioeconomic needs and access
health-care systems of many countries from reaching a health-care services during pandemics (FAO, 2017). In
catastrophic situation (Gummerson et al., 2021). However, light of the sociocultural values and practices that underpin
these COVID-19 restrictions brought forth unintended gender inequalities within households, women and girls
consequences, including the loss of livelihood and income, often experience heightened tensions during pandemics,
disruptions in education, engagement in unsafe sexual elevating their vulnerability to domestic violence (IASC,
behaviors, and a decline in access to health-care services, 2015; 2020). Such circumstances may further impede their
including essential sexual and reproductive health services access to family planning services amid a pandemic.
such as family planning (Bahamondes & Makuch, 2020;
Dasgupta et al., 2020; Gummerson et al., 2021; Herawati Family planning, encompassing pregnancy planning,
et al., 2020). Globally, health-care systems faced heightened child spacing, and limiting, aims to enhance the overall
strain as COVID-19 spread, resulting in the prioritization well-being and quality of life for women and their children
of pandemic-related health-care provision and the (Sharma et al., 2020). We posit that the COVID-19
suspension of numerous routine health-care services in pandemic may detrimentally impact the circumstances of
many countries (Sharma et al., 2020). women and girls, particularly by restricting their access to
family planning services in SSA, where health-care systems
Women and girls in low- and middle-income countries exhibit relative fragility compared to the global north. The
have been recognized as a vulnerable group in the context challenges faced by women in accessing family planning
of the COVID-19 pandemic (Burzynska & Contreras, services are likely exacerbated by the impact of the
2020; Connor et al., 2020). Scholars posit that COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic. Against this background, we pose
risk factors exhibit gendered patterns rather than being the following question: What is the impact of COVID-19
gender-neutral, highlighting that females face increased on the access to family planning services among women
vulnerability to risk exposure and encounter greater of reproductive age (defined as ages 15 – 49) in SSA?
disadvantages in accessing essential life-saving resources The study furnishes essential insights derived from a
(Siriwardhane & Khan, 2021; Spagnolo et al., 2020; review of published studies focused on the access and
Stanton & Bateson, 2021). Moreover, many international utilization of family planning methods among women
organizations have articulated that the gender dimension in their reproductive years during the pre-COVID-19
of the pandemic and its control measures may exert a long- and COVID-19 eras in SSA. Consequent to the potential
lasting impact on the health and well-being of millions of impact of the two major COVID-19 spread preventive
women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. moves – lockdowns and shutdowns – implemented
Researchers contend that the COVID-19 pandemic, along globally, including in SSA, which restricted movements,
with various restrictive measures implemented to curb its our hypothesis posits that COVID-19 would adversely
spread, could leave considerable numbers of women and affect women’s access to family planning services and
girls without access to critical sexual and reproductive constrain their utilization of these services.
health-care services (Dasgupta et al., 2020; Stanton &
Bateson, 2021). 2. Materials and methods
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, prevailing power We conducted a scoping review of relevant literature,
dynamics in many sub-Saharan African (SSA) societies adhering to the Joanna Briggs Institute’s guidelines for
predominantly disadvantaged women and girls (Adedini scoping reviews. We synthesized and analyzed evidence
et al., 2014; Aina, 1998; Odimegwu et al., 2015). The from relevant studies published during the pre-COVID-19
region’s culturally laden gender norms carried adverse period (2010 – 2019) as well as those published from 2020
implications for reproductive health and various outcomes to the end of March 2022. To compile our comprehensive
among women and girls (Adedini et al., 2014; Adeleke, review, we systematically searched and retrieved relevant
2016). Additionally, existing studies indicate that preceding literature from major electronic databases, including Web
epidemics, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of Science (WoS), MEDLINE, African Journals Online, and

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.365