Syrian Refugee Women's Health in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan and Recommendations for Improved Practice

Abstract

Since 2011, an estimated nine million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries, and over four million have fled to neighboring countries of Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. Seventy five percent of Syrian refugees are women and children. In times of conflict, women’s health disproportionately suffers. Based on an assessment of academic literature and international policy and development reports, this study explores the vulnerabilities of Syrian women and girls in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, and how these countries approach Syrian refugee women’s health care. In all settings, sexual and gender-based violence, reduced use of modern contraceptives, menstrual irregularity, unplanned pregnancies, preterm birth, and infant morbidity are ongoing issues. Recommendations for improved practice include taking a multilevel approach to eliminate social and service delivery barriers that prevent access to care, conducting thorough needs assessments, and creating policy and programmatic solutions that establish long term care for Syrian refugee women.

Pregnancy outcomes among Syrian refugee and Jordanian women: a comparative study

“…). In Jordan, conditions such as LBW are not covered financially for refugees as this requires hospitalization (Samari ). Consequently, appropriate measures including change in antenatal care policy need to be taken to prevent such complications.…”

“…There was a significant relationship in both groups between young women aged 19 years and younger and LBW. More effort is required on the part of healthcare providers to advise against early marriage as these girls are at greater risk of neonatal complications (Samari ).…”

Syrian Women and the Refugee Crisis: Surviving the Conflict, Building Peace, and Taking New Gender Roles

“…Although, it is difficult to get information from refugee women regarding this very issue (because of the conservative nature of the society they belong to and the stigmatization of such issues), but the assessments made at small scale by different organizations highlight problems such as sexual and gender-based violence including rape, assault, harassment and intimate partner violence, early marriage, early age at pregnancy, frequent UTIs, complications during pregnancy, irregular menstrual cycle, and no access to antenatal care after delivery (Samari 2014).…”

Implementation of a SenseMaker® research project among Syrian refugees in Lebanon

“…As a result of the difficulties associated with displacement, child marriage has been identified as a coping strategy among Syrian refugee households [5,18]. Financial hardship and continuous concerns about protecting girls from sexual violence lead some families to marry their daughters early as a way to secure their futures financially and to protect them from sexual violence [18].…”

“…Financial hardship and continuous concerns about protecting girls from sexual violence lead some families to marry their daughters early as a way to secure their futures financially and to protect them from sexual violence [18]. Child brides are at high risk for pregnancy and labor complications including preterm labor, obstructed or prolonged labor, and obstetrical fistulas [10,11].…”