Conference 2003: Reproductive Health from Disaster to Development

The Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium is pleased to present the proceedings of Conference 2003: Reproductive Health From Disaster to Development, the second international research conference on reproductive health for conflict-affected populations. Significant progress has been made in raising awareness and advancing reproductive health fornconflict-affected populations since the mid-90’s with the publication of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children’s report, Refugee Women and Reproductive Health Care: Reassessing Priorities, which documented the severe deficits in reproductive health services for refugees and internally displaced populations and the Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations: An Inter-agency Field Manual, which set the standard for reproductive health care and services in conflict settings. In the ensuing decade, data collection has increased substantially in these settings to inform programming and stimulate advocacy efforts. This conference provided an opportunity to support these endeavors with informative research, successful program models, innovative strategies and practical tools and guidelines. The RHRC Consortium hopes that these findings will be useful to agencies working in conflict settings to improve the quantity and quality of reproductive health programs and for development agencies to further extend their activities to include refugee and other displaced populations. It is essential that the link is made between the humanitarian an development agencies to better serve populations in a more holistic and sustainable manner.