Table 1 Self-care interventions aligned with the MISP for SRH in humanitarian settings

1. Coordination: Ensure the health sector/cluster identifies an organization to lead the implementation of the MISP

Not applicable. However, the implementation of self-care interventions should be the fruit of concerted policy and programmatic efforts at all levels.

2. Gender-based violence: Prevent sexual violence and respond to the needs of survivors. Activities:

 • Establish measures to prevent sexual violence

 • Provide clinical care for survivors of sexual violence (treatment of injuries, post-rape care, mental health and psychosocial support, safety planning, referrals)

• Care of injuries

• Over the counter oral contraceptive pills (WHO Rec 11)

• Emergency contraception

• HIV post-exposure prophylaxis

• STI presumptive treatment

• Positive coping methods

3. HIV/STI: Prevent the transmission and reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV and other STIs. Activities:

 • Safe and rational blood transfusion

 • Ensure standard precautions

 • Provide condoms

 • Continue treatment for people enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART), including women enrolled in PMTCT

 • Provide post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for survivors of sexual violence

 • Provide cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for opportunistic infections for patients already diagnosed with HIV

• Condom use (WHO Rec 12–13)

• HIV post-exposure prophylaxis for survivors of sexual violence

• ART treatment, for people already enrolled including pregnant and postpartum women

• Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis

4. Maternal and newborn health: Prevent excess maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Activities:

 • Safe and clean delivery

 • Essential newborn care

 • Provide emergency obstetric and newborn care

 • Provide post-abortion care

• Misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage

• Chlorhexidine for neonatal cord care

• Other components essential newborn care (thermal care, breastfeeding, etc.)

• Post-abortion hormonal contraception initiation (WHO Rec 19–20)

5. Contraception: Prevent unintended pregnancies. Activities:

 • Ensure a range of long-acting and short-acting contraceptive methods

 • Provide information and ensure awareness of the availability of contraceptives

• Self-administration of injectable contraception (WHO Rec 10)

• Over the counter oral contraceptive pills (WHO Rec 11) including emergency contraception

• Up to 1-year supply oral contraceptive pills (WHO Rec 15)

• Condom use (WHO Rec 12–13)

• Post-abortion hormonal contraception initiation (WHO Rec 19–20)

• Postpartum contraception initiation

• Lactational amenorrhea method

• Fertility awareness-based / standard day methods• Traditional methods (e.g., withdrawal)

Other priority: Safe abortion care. Ensure safe abortion care is available in health centers and hospitals, to the full extent of the law

• Self-management of medical abortion process in the first trimester (WHO Rec 16–18)

• Post-abortion hormonal contraception initiation (WHO Rec 19–20)

6. Transition to comprehensive SRH: Plan for comprehensive SRH services, integrated into primary care as soon as possible. Activities:

 • Work with the health sector/cluster to address the six health system building blocks

SRH Self-Care Interventions beyond the MISP

• HIV self-testing (WHO Rec 23)

• ART programming for new enrollees

• HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (oral PrEP)

• Self-collection of samples for STI testing (WHO Rec 22)

• Self-administered pain relief for prevention of delay in the first stage of labor (WHO Rec 9)

• Self-administered interventions for common physiological symptoms of pregnancy (WHO Rec 3–8)

• Non-clinical interventions to reduce unnecessary cesarean sections (WHO Rec 1 & 2)

• Cancer: Self-sampling for HPV testing (WHO Rec 21), breast cancer self-exam, testicular self-exam

• Fertility: Home-based ovulation predictor kits (WHO Rec 11), home-based pregnancy tests, menstrual health management

• Sexual health: Sexuality education

• Mental health: Positive coping, self-help