Jamila K. Stockman, PhD, professor and vice chief of global public health in the Division of Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine served on the study committee. Courtesy photo: UC San Diego School of Medicine
Nearly half of all women in the United States report experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) at some point during their lifetime. Times of disaster and public health emergencies tend to increase the severity and frequency of IPV for many women. The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine recently created a committee tasked with identifying essential health services for women related to IPV during steady times to determine whether those essential health services related to IPV differ during public health emergencies. Additionally, the committee worked to identify strategies that can sustain access to those essential services during times of public health emergencies.
Jamila K. Stockman, PhD, professor and vice chief of global public health in the Division of Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine served on the committee. She noted that the consensus study was important because the high rates of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic illuminated gaps in screening and provision of care and resources for impacted women.
“This demonstrated the need for a conceptual framework for delivering essential preventive, and health care and support services related to intimate partner violence during public health emergencies,” said Stockman. “I hope that the recommendations outlined in this study will provide evidence for increased federal support in the areas of funding, staff training, resource development, and technical assistance to safety-net settings of care, with a focus on reaching socially marginalized populations and communities that experience multiple and historical social and structural barriers.”
The committee presented the report in a public webcast earlier this month. The full recording of the webcast, can be viewed on The National Academies’ website, the full report can also be accessed on the website.
— Joyce Pritchett