PURPOSE:
highlights the essential role of midwives in delivering postabortion care (PAC) in conflict-affected and displacement settings in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and outlines the strategies used to ensure continuity and quality of care despite humanitarian crises.

DISCUSSION:
Eastern DRC faces ongoing armed conflict, displacement, and systemic health system breakdowns, all of which intensify the need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, particularly postabortion care. In these fragile settings, women face higher risks of unsafe abortion and limited access to life-saving care. Since 2021, Ipas DRC has supported capacity-building programs for midwives in conflict-affected provinces (North Kivu and South Kivu), with a focus on: delivering PAC based on WHO guidelines; providing woman-centered, respectful, and nonjudgmental care; managing complications in primary and secondary health facilities; adapting service provision in mobile clinics and resource-limited or insecure environments. These strategies have strengthened midwives' ability to maintain service delivery in the face of instability and respond to the SRH needs of displaced and vulnerable populations.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
From 2023 to 2024, over 35 midwives were trained in PAC across three crisis-affected provinces. In more than 35 frontline health facilities, midwives continued to provide PAC services, even during periods of insecurity and population displacement. They reported improved clinical competencies and increased confidence in providing compassionate care to women facing trauma, violence, or loss. Access to PAC contributed to a decrease in complications from unsafe abortion in several target areas, reinforcing the impact of midwife-led care in humanitarian settings.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives are frontline responders who ensure continuity of postabortion care in humanitarian crises. Their presence, skills, and commitment save lives and uphold women’s dignity and reproductive rights in even the most fragile contexts. Poster session 1 (Group A)