Submission ID 132038
| Issue/Objective | Global health systems often assume stable populations and fixed service delivery. These assumptions exclude highly mobile groups, particularly street-connected and displaced children. This study examines how mobility and systemic invisibility shape inequitable access to protection and mental health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, with the objective of identifying structural barriers and informing more inclusive service models. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A mixed-methods design was conducted across four districts (Peshawar, Khyber, Kurram, South Waziristan) between August and October 2025. Data included one focus group discussion (n=12) and structured surveys (N=412), sampled purposively from populations engaged through CP VAN programming. Tools were informed by the COM-B framework and administered digitally. Ethical safeguards included informed consent, anonymization, and referral protocols. |
| Results | Findings show that while awareness of child protection and mental health issues is increasing, access remains constrained for mobile populations. Key barriers include lack of identity documentation, exclusion from formal education, mobility across administrative boundaries, and social stigma. These factors limit inclusion in formal services and data systems, rendering children on the move largely invisible. Fixed, institution-based models fail to reach these populations, resulting in inconsistent and unsustained impact. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Inequities are driven by misalignment between service design and population realities. Systems built for stable populations exclude those most at risk. Flexible, mobility-adaptive approaches are required to extend reach and ensure continuity of care for marginalized groups in fragile contexts. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Shamyle Rizwan Khan Sakeenah Canada Sumbal Gilani UNICEF Pakistan Umbreen Akhtar National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan |
