Vouchers for Fresh Food and Uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Pregnant Women: Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh

UNFPA found that facility-based deliveries by women in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar were low (35%), which is linked to increased maternal mortality. In addition, undernourishment among pregnant women in this community increased their risk of poor pregnancy outcomes such as obstructed labor and premature and low birth weight newborns. From September 2018 to August 2019, UNFPA provided vouchers to encourage antenatal care visits and facility-based deliveries. Participatory assessments and feedback mechanisms, financial risk mitigation such as the use of QR codes for voucher tracking, and ongoing outreach by community health workers contributed to the success of the voucher assistance as part of a broader humanitarian sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programme.