About Our Partnership
PAHO/WHO is pleased to partner with the Spotlight Initiative to strengthen the health systems response to violence against women and girls. The Spotlight Initiative to Elliminate Violence Against Women and Girls is a global partnership amongst governments, the European Union, the United Nations, and civil society organizations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
Health services are a unique resource that can identify women and girls subjected to violence, provide them with appropriate care and connect them to other support services. Among the outcomes of the collaboration between the Ministry of Health, PAHO, and the Spotlight Initiative has been the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s first National Clinical and Policy Guidelines on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence. The Guidelines are intended to improve the capacity of healthcare providers to respond holistically to the physical, mental, and social needs of survivors to ensure appropriate follow-up care. They also present health sector strategies to prevent and develop policy responses to violence against women.
Quality and accessible data are critical to inform clinical and policy decision-making. A tool has been developed for clinical staff to gather information on health conditions and care provided to survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV). This health care form is available in paper or electronic format. The electronic form, part of the existing Perinatal Information System, is available to the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and enables users to generate reports indicating the quality of care provided. A manual and instructional video for use of the health care form have been developed.
Capacity in the care of survivors of IPV and SV is being built further through the training of trainers in the RHAs and the development of curricula for students in helping professions (medicine, nursing, social work, and psychology).
The current phase of work involves the development of protocols to strengthen interoperability between health, police, and legal services in service provision to survivors of IPV and SV.
