The Knowledge SUCCESS team recently spoke with Linos Muhvu, Secretary and Chief Talent Team Leader at the Society for Pre and Post Natal Services (SPANS) in the Goromonzi District of Zimbabwe, about the links between mental health and family planning and reproductive health. The devastation that COVID-19 has caused around the world—deaths, economic collapse, and long-term isolation—has exacerbated the mental health struggles people faced even before the pandemic struck.
In a variety of ways that suit their contexts, countries around the world have adapted international guidance on providing family planning care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking the extent to which these new policies are successful in maintaining women’s access to safe, high-quality care will provide valuable lessons for responses to future public health emergencies.