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International Journal of
Population Studies SRH services among young people during COVID-19

1. Introduction The disruptions in the supply chain of essential SRH
commodities and services led to substantial gaps between
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a the growing demand and the decreasing supply of SRH
pandemic on March 11, 2020 (World Health Organization, services (Ahmed & Sonfield, 2020).
2020). Between the onset of the outbreak in March and a
reference period in September 2020, the African region Adolescents and young adults (AYA) have specific SRH
recorded numerous deaths, with South Africa reporting needs due to their development stage and engagement
15,641 deaths (65% of the total deaths in the region), Algeria in adventurous sexual activities (Isiugo-Abanihe, 2005).
1,632 (6.7%), Nigeria 1,088 (4.5%), Ethiopia 1,035 (4.3%), Even before the pandemic, there was a high unmet need
and 634 in Kenya (2.6%) (World Health Organization, 2020). for adolescent SRH services in SSA (Okawa et al., 2018), a
These five countries accounted for 83% of the total recorded situation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdown.
COVID-related deaths in the African region during this AYA’s access to SRH services in SSA is generally limited
period. Health workers bore a significant burden of infections, due to various barriers, including individual perceptions,
with South Africa reporting about 27,360 infections among misconceptions about SRH, lack of confidentiality, and
their health workers, followed by Algeria with 2,300, Nigeria health providers’ attitudes (Mutea et al., 2020; Ninsiima et al.,
with 2,065, Ethiopia with 1,291, and Kenya with 970 (World 2021; Watara et al., 2020), which continue to influence the
Health Organization, 2020). These numbers compounded level of utilization of SRH services. This situation is bound
the challenges faced by the health-care system, impacting its to amplify the unintended consequences COVID- 19 had on
optimal functionality during the pandemic. the utilization of SRH services for AYA (Mmeje et al., 2020).
Many countries in Africa resorted to enforcing There are numerous negative health effects that could
measures to curtail the spread of the pandemic. Some of result from diverting medical attention from SRH of AYA
the containment strategies employed included lockdowns, to the COVID-19 response. This diversion may lead to an
border closures, and export restrictions, which led to a increase in unplanned pregnancies, a reduction in antenatal
drastic reduction in the supply of sexual and reproductive coverage, and a decrease in the percentage of births
health (SRH) services. Studies across the world have attended to by skilled health workers (Mmeje et al., 2020),
shown increased sexual activity during the lockdown ultimately contributing to elevated maternal mortality and
(UNFPA, 2021; World Health Organization, 2020). On morbidity. Additional consequences include diminished
the other hand, the lockdown disrupted service delivery access to SRH information, potentially resulting in
in all sectors, including SRH service delivery worldwide increased exposure to sexually transmitted infections
(Adelekan et al., 2021; Togun et al., 2020; Wood et al., 2021). (STIs), adolescent pregnancies, and their associated health
For example, studies have documented some challenges in risks (Adelekan et al., 2021). Moreover, this situation
maintaining the supply of family planning services during has exposed AYA to illegal and unsafe practices for the
the pandemic, such as the shutting down of contraceptive termination of unwanted pregnancy (abortion) (Wusu,
manufacturing factories and the closure of some health- 2020), which occurred during this period due to the lack
care facilities (AHB, 2020; Ahmed & Sonfield, 2020). of access to SRH services.
These service delivery disruptions negatively impact access Several studies in SSA have explored the health impacts
to SRH care, including family planning (Isiugo-Abanihe, of COVID-19, including investigations into the use of
2005), in many developing countries. Similar evidence in SRH services. To the best of our knowledge, no review has
some African countries also attested to the fact that the synthesized the impact of the pandemic on the demand and
lockdowns and restriction of movement also affected the supply of SRH services for AYA in SSA. This scoping review
demand for personalized SRH services, such as access to aims to identify factors responsible for the discrepancies in
contraceptives, maternal care, pregnancy care, and safe demand for and supply of SRH, the strategies adopted, and
abortion (UNFPA, 2021; Adelekan et al., 2021). the resilience built over time. This knowledge can inform
In the wake of the pandemic, the provision of health strategic planning for future crises. The study findings
services became more challenging for most countries, provide evidence for the imperative need to focus on the
with a heightened focus on the COVID-19 response at the sustained supply of SRH services and commodities during
expense of other health-care services (Togun et al., 2020; periods of emergency. More specifically, the review has the
Wood et al., 2021). Essential services like SRH consequently following objectives:
took a secondary position, exerting a significant toll on (i) To examine the converging evidence on explanatory
the mental and sexual well-being of individuals in many factors for the discrepancies in the demand and supply
sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries where 70 – 90% gap in SRH services for AYA during the outbreak of
of medical commodities are imported (AHB, 2020). COVID-19 in SSA

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 22 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.366