ArticleReproductive health2026
Healthcare systems' readiness to address gender-based violence during COVID-19 and beyond in Pakistan: a mixed methods study.
Article in Reproductive health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender-based physical, financial, sexual, and psychological harm on a global scale, resulting in a surge of gender-based violence incidents. Consequently, there has been an increased demand for Sexual Reproductive Health Services (SRHS) in response to the pandemic. This study aims to comprehend the impact of COVID-19 on contraception, comprehensive abortion care, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention and treatment, and Gender-based violence (GBV) support at both sub-national and facility levels. METHODOLOGY: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted from October 2021 to September 2022 across 9 public and private healthcare facilities in Sindh, Pakistan. Quantitative data were collected from 250 participants (156 women and 94 partners), and facility readiness assessments were conducted using WHO-adapted Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tools. Qualitative in-depth interviews were subsequently conducted with purposively selected women, partners, and 33 healthcare providers until thematic saturation was achieved. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated during analysis and interpretation.
resultsOnly 33.3% (3/9) of facilities routinely screened for domestic violence, 11.1% (1/9) provided referral linkages to external GBV support services, and 11.1% (1/9) had healthcare providers trained in GBV response within the preceding six months. Health Management Information Systems documented GBV cases in only 11.1% (1/9) of facilities. Qualitative findings indicated increased violence during the pandemic, driven by economic stress, unemployment, and restricted mobility, while sociocultural stigma, lack of trained personnel, and weak referral systems limited service utilization.
conclusionThe study identified notable deficiencies in healthcare facilities' preparedness to address instances of violence against women. These deficiencies encompassed the absence of national guidelines, limited resources, inadequate identification methods, scarce referral services, and insufficient privacy measures. Moreover, a lack of training for healthcare practitioners jeopardizes their capacity to provide adequate care and support to GBV victims and survivors.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.