Establishment of GBV Survivors Management Center to Provide a Comprehensive Services

Amref Health Africa in consortium with ProjectHOPE, IntraHealth and General Electric have been implementing a five-year USAID funded Activity, ‘Transform Health in Developing Regions’. The Activity is a response to equity to contribute to the effort of the Government of Ethiopia to narrow the health status disparity among the regions. The Activity among the other strategies, it has given due attention to gender and other social determinants of health to reduce maximize its effort in reduction of maternal and child mortality. The regions are characterized by poor maternal health indicators with FGM/C and other forms of GBV complicating the situation. One of the supportive supervision visits informed the Activity that there were alarming number of sexual assault cases reported at Dubti general hospital, 72 cases in one year. Despite the magnitude of the case, the management was poor and not well integrated to address the complex nature of the problem. Evidence guided series of consultative meetings were held with the hospital management, and other stockholders like regional health bureau, women and children affair, supreme Islamic affair, and Police and Justice offices. It was agreed that the health office to arrange rooms within the hospital designated for the purpose; and USAID Transform HDR to furnish and equip the rooms, and also to organize experience learning visits to two hospitals in the country that have well-established one-stop centers for the GBV survivors management. The delegated team from the different regional sector office on return from the learning visits received training on clinical management for Sexual assault survivors, and psychosocial support. The stockholders adapted standard operating procedures and signed memorandum of agreement on the rules of engagement. The center inaugurated in the presence of the State Minister for Women and Children affair, and other Heads of Afar Regional Sector Offices, and different public and private media as well community opinion leaders. Currently, the center has started providing service.