Bridging sexual and reproductive health service gaps for people with disabilities in conflict-affected zones in Africa

Abstract

Sexual and reproductive health remains largely inaccessible to people with disabilities in Africa, and these inequities are magnified in conflict settings through displacement, disrupted services, and heightened violence. Despite global frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals, disability inclusion is often absent from humanitarian sexual and reproductive health responses. Drawing on examples from Nigeria and Uganda, this commentary illustrates the compounded vulnerabilities faced by people with disabilities, including the loss of assistive devices, stigma, and exclusion from planning. I propose five strategies to bridge these gaps: policy reform, inclusive service design, partnerships with Disabled Persons’ Organisations, improved data collection, and capacity building for frontline workers. Ensuring disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health in conflict-affected Africa requires empowering the voices of people living with disabilities. This is both a health and human rights imperative that demands urgent and coordinated action.