Provision of sexual and reproductive health care services for refugees in Greece in the framework of the Minimum Initial Service Package: a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background Since 2015, Greece has hosted most refugees arriving in Europe. In the refugee camps, humanitarian organizations have reported unsafe and bad health conditions. The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) was designed to assure a standard minimum of sexual and reproductive health services in humanitarian settings. We aimed to explore the provision of and identify gaps in sexual and reproductive health services for refugees in Greece within the framework of MISP. Methods A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. In February 2022 and January 2023, the electronic databases CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed articles in English published from January 2015 to January 2023. Gray literature was retrieved from the websites of well-known humanitarian organizations. The data charting and summary of the results were structured in themes according to the six predefined objectives of the 2018 version of MISP, with the addition of “safe abortion care” as a seventh objective. Results We included 23 journal articles and eight gray literature sources. Much of the research focuses on sexual violence, while there is limited data on coordination, sexually transmitted infection treatment, family planning, and abortion care. Gaps in protection, support services for survivors, postnatal care, and clinical rape management were identified. Barriers to accessing health services existed. Conclusion Since 2015, Greece has hosted many refugees facing barriers to accessing SRH services in camps. Research on family planning and safe abortion care is limited, with more focus on sexual violence and maternal and child health. Addressing SRH service gaps is crucial for human rights, requiring more research and implementation of best practices.