Consultancy: Planetary Health transversal approach applied to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

 

Planetary Health transversal approach applied to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

 

Environmental Health – Global Inclusive Health division

 

 

1. CONTEXT

Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity.

 

Humanity & Inclusion / Handicap International (HI) is an independent and impartial aid and development organization with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. For further information: www.hi.org

 

By addressing and removing barriers persons with disabilities experience when accessing SRHR information and services including those related to Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH), HI contributes to meet the SRHR needs and to fulfill the SRHR of this population and especially women and girls and ultimately to achieve the SDG 3.1 dedicated to reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and the SDG 3.7 of equitable and universal access to SRHR services among other relevant SRHR related SDGs.

At the same time, HI adopted a Planetary Health (PH) transversal approach to consider the complexity of uproots causes related to the climate crisis and environmental degradation and pollution that have an impact on health, including SRHR and mental health, and access to health services, particularly but not exclusively on persons with disabilities. This approach aims to intentionally target co-benefits for health and environment through HI activities.

The links between SRHR and PH are clear in the growing corpus of scientific evidence:  Climate related extreme weather events hold the potential to harm sexual and reproductive health through pathways including elevated exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), disrupted healthcare access, and increased gender-based violence (GBV) and adverse impacts on pregnancy and maternal newborn health outcomes.Planetary Health, focusing on climate and health nexus, orients research on women and girls’ health new or exacerbated risks because of climate crisis, air pollution, land contamination, water depletion, etc. and it promotes actions with co-benefits for environment and health.

Assessing root causes of health risks, it helps to consider environmental and social determinants of health. For instance, the implications of water shortages or salinization of drinkable water because of sea level rise can be especially acute for women because of hygiene needs related to menstruation, pregnancy, or maternity, but also because the burden of cooking, cleaning, and fetching water or taking care of cattle, falls largely on women. Moreover, Planetary Health ultimately aims change systems advancing gender-equitable and inclusive health systems. Finally, it may catalyze women’s pivotal role in inclusive climate and health action.

This consultancy will help the organization to explore those pathways, offering an overview of best practices, and describing clear recommendations to move toward operationalization of PH in the field of inclusive SRHR.

 

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPECTED SERVICE

HI requires a guidance note about understanding and applying the Planetary Health framework to SRHR field in humanitarian and development settings, considering the transversal approach of gender, age and disability-inclusion. The guidance note should be transdisciplinary evidence-based (considering both latest scientific evidence as well as grey literature), supported by real examples/case-studies (from any humanitarian actor), completed by a list of external resources for action and ended with clear operational recommendations. Mandatory, this work should include specific considerations on the impact and barriers experienced by persons with disabilities when coming to the impact of climate change on SRHR.

Main focus will be on how raising temperature and related phenomena (drought, heat waves,…) and water related disasters (floods, freshwater salinity, …) affect directly and indirectly health of women and girls. For each of those climate and environmental risks, the guidance note should specify main exposure pathways and impact with a dedicated focus on potential specific impact on prevention and barriers to access information, and services among persons with disabilities. Recommendations should be accompanied by a SWOT analysis.

Recommendations should be detailed in order to describe possible solutions (mitigation/adaptation/transformative measures) that could be realistically put in place through HI projects to address the SRHR needs of persons with disabilities and particularly women and girls facing the climate crisis.

 

3. CONSULTANT’S PROFILE

• HI is looking for a professional with background in health or medicine
• Knowledge of Planetary Health approach is required
• Knowledge about disability inclusion and health equity is required
• Research experience is an added value
• Working in English is mandatory, French is an added value
• Previous experience with HI is preferable

 

4. DURATION AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE OF THE SERVICE

• Start date: September 9^th 2024
• End date: November 29^th 2024
• Working days: 10
• No travel required / fully remote

 

5. WORK PLAN

• Based on the proposed schedule included in these Terms of Reference, the consultant should establish a work plan for the completion of the service in due time, considering time for review after the focal point feedback on the draft
• The work plan should give a clear description of how the consultant intends to approach the activities necessary to the service’s completion specifying milestones

 

6. DELIVERABLES

• Desk review of scientific and grey literature on the topic (15 to 30 pages including figures and references), with a strong focus on disability, spotlighting research gaps
• Scoping review of best practices with structured description (between 3 to 5 case studies)
• Selected commented bibliography with updated links (between 10 to 20 resources)
• List of operational recommendations for HI country and regional programs (3 to 6 pages)
• Submission date: at latest November 4^th 2024 for the initial draft; final version after the review is requested for November 29^th 2024
• All documents will be delivered in English. Copyright of all deliverables will be in name of HI.

 

7. CONTACT PERSON

• During the performance of the service, the consultant will be required to work in liaison with Handicap International’s teams, and notably with Davide Ziveri, PhD, Planetary Health focal point, who will be his/her contact person
• You can send your application to Davide Ziveri, d.ziveri@hi.org until July 3^rd 2024

Administrative and technical annexes

 

I           Methodological approach/work plan adopted for the service

II          Consultant’s CV including list of relevant publications

III         At least two references

IV        Budget

 

 

 

À télécharger

ToR Consultancy