Health Workers in Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Care for Refugees: Insights from Frontline Health and Humanitarian Professionals in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a marked global increase in cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) has been noted (Johnson et al. 2020). In the refugee settlements of Uganda, this is dramatically illustrated by an escalating crisis of teenage pregnancies (UN Women 2020; Diallo et al. 2023). During lockdowns, conflicts among families and couples increased and vulnerable community members, particularly children and young people, were exposed to heightened risks of abuse (Datzberger et al. 2023). For the humanitarian community, the escalation of the past years highlights the urgent need to sustainably improve SGBV prevention, care and case management in refugee settings.