Bridging the gap: Advancing safe and comprehensive abortion care in humanitarian settings
Taking place as part of the 2025 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), this panel explores the critical yet under prioritised issue of safe and comprehensive abortion care within humanitarian settings. Despite growing global recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), translating policy commitments into practice in crisis contexts remains a major challenge. Persistent funding gaps, political resistance, and restrictions on vulnerable groups – such as refugees – continue to limit access to care.
Bringing together researchers and practitioners, the discussion will examine how to navigate practical and political barriers, strengthen evidence-based decision-making, and integrate abortion services into humanitarian operations.
The session will also introduce a policy brief highlighting key evidence gaps and recommendations for action. Participants will gain insights into evolving global narratives, the impact of funding constraints, and opportunities to shift power and leadership toward local communities and people affected by crisis.
The session:
The event will consist of four presentations and a panel discussion highlighting key insights, evidence gaps and urgent action needed on safe and comprehensive abortion care in emergency settings. The presentations will focus on:
- The launch of a new policy brief for advancing comprehensive abortion care in humanitarian crises, detailing evidence and policy pathways for action.
- Exploring agency and the diffusion of self-managed abortion in refugee settings.
- Lived experiences of self-managed abortion in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Pathways to post-abortion care in the Central African Republic.
Meet the speakers:
- Gillian McKay, Senior Humanitarian Health Research Advisor, Elrha (Chair)
- Chiara Bercu, Senior Associate Project Director, Ibis Reproductive Health
- Tamara Fetters, Senior Research Scientist, Ipas
- Neha Singh, Associate Professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and co-Director of the Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre.
- Dyrhonne Sivihwa, Senior Manager Recherche En Sante De La Reproduction, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Event Insights & Resources
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing insights and outputs from this session, including our policy brief, a recording of the panel discussion and our key takeaways from the event. Sign-up to our newsletters or follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated.
Attending ICFP in person?
Alongside our panel discussion, we will be hosting an informal evening event for in-person attendees on 5 November from 7pm (COT). The reception is designed to facilitate networking and new connections and galvanise positive solutions, policy actions and innovative approaches that advance the implementation and funding of safe abortion care in humanitarian settings.
The event is hosted in collaboration with Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Guttmacher Institute, Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises, International Planned Parenthood Federation, International Rescue Committee, Ipas, ODAS and Profamilia.
Find out more or get in touch with Gillian McKay to RSVP.
Attending ICFP online?
If you are taking part in ICFP as a virtual attendee, this session will be available to watch live via Zoom Events. To find out more about joining the session or sharing your questions with our panellists, please visit the ICFP attendee portal.
