HPC holds seminar detailing experiences of women, adolescent refugees

AMMAN — The Higher Population Council (HPC) on Tuesday held a seminar to host national stakeholders to discuss a review on the experiences of refugee women and adolescents in Jordan.

The seminar was organisedin cooperation with the Institute for Family Health/ Noor Al Hussein Foundation, Edinburgh University of Scotland and the University of West Scotland, according to a higher council statement. 

The event, titled: "Refugee Health within a Changing Scene — By the Introduction of Scientific Evidence and the Implications of Practice", aimed at introducing an in-depth analytical review on the experiences of refugees in Jordan’s urban areas, as well as presenting broader insight into these experiences by discussing the subject with experts in scientific practices and policy.

The seminar included a presentation of two studies, one on "Quality of care for reproductive health services for adolescent refugees in Jordan and Uganda", which aimed at developing basic data on access to reproductive health care services for adolescent refugees in urban areas in Uganda and Jordan. The study managed to identify their psychological and social needs, vulnerabilities and cultural barriers, the statement said.

The most important recommendations included the establishment of a global health research network for refugees.

 The second study was on "Improving the quality of care for refugee women facing gender-based violence". 

During the seminar, the HPC’s Secretary Abla Amawi, inaugurated an innovative audio exhibition under the title that presents the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees living with HIV in the face of a changing world in Scotland, which aims to explore the strong connections between forced migrants and society in addition to presenting complicated human stories behind the phenomenon of migration, asylum and co-existence with HIV, according to the statement.

Amawi stressed that this exhibition reflects the stories of asylum seekers and refugees, regardless of the country that they are fleeing from or the country to which they resort to so that they can be heard in a spirit of true dignity and shared humanity. Amawi added that through such events we can raise awareness, change concepts and draw attention to the humanitarian aspect of the debate in the global media about migration.

For his part, Director of the Institute for Family Health/ Noor Al Hussein Foundation Ibrahim A’qil, highlighted the challenges facing Syrian refugees, particularly adolescents and youth. 

He further emphasised the role of the institutions in Jordan responding to these challenges and providing services to this category of refugees. He added that the foundation provides reproductive health services, psychosocial support, protection against gender-based violence, and rehabilitation services for people with disabilities to more than 300,000 beneficiaries annually, 50 per cent of which are refugees.