The COVID-19 pandemic swept through Asia and the Pacific bringing with it lockdowns, movement restrictions and curfews and disrupting essential sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence services. In this new landscape, UNFPA had to strengthen advocacy, boost innovation, adapt service modalities and leverage the power of technology to ensure continuity of essential services while at the same time protecting frontline health workers. DFAT enabled the investment to quickly implement COVID-19 response activities to ensure continued and improved access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence services across the region in six priority countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and in the Pacific.
This document gives a snapshot of UNFPA's work during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes hyperlinks to stories of the people at the centre of what we do. This work was made possible through funding from the Government of Australia, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in support of a regional COVID-19 project implemented by UNFPA and partners.
Learn more: Photo story: Profiles and portraits from UNFPA's COVID-19 response
