International Rescue Committee and Vitala Global partner to expand digital contraception and sexual and reproductive health access for displaced people in Colombia

Globally, 72 million women and adolescent girls are caught in humanitarian crises, and at least 11 million want to avoid pregnancy but lack access to contraception — a gap that drives unsafe abortions, pregnancy complications, and preventable deaths (OCHA, 2025). Contraception is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available, yet it's often among the first services lost when conflict and displacement strain health systems.

Colombia reflects that gap acutely. The country hosts more than 7 million internally displaced people and 3 million Venezuelan migrants, with Norte de Santander — and the border city of Cúcuta in particular — serving as a critical transit and settlement point. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the leading organizations providing health care to displaced people in the region, but recent funding cuts have forced the closure of key family planning and abortion care services just as need is rising, leaving many women and girls without reliable contraception access, clear information about their options, or continuity of care as they move.

To help close that gap, the IRC is partnering with Vitala Global to bring Aya Contigo — a privacy-first digital reproductive health companion — to displaced and migrant women, girls, and gender-expansive people in Norte de Santander, Colombia. Co-designed with users and local organizations, Aya Contigo already supports more than 60,000 people across Latin America and the United States with confidential, trauma-informed guidance on contraception and abortion. 

“This partnership brings a proven digital tool directly to people who need it most, at a moment when humanitarian funding for reproductive health is under severe strain."  Erin Wheeler, SRHR Global Practice Lead, IRC

In Colombia,  the platform will give users a confidential digital starting point for contraception information and referrals, alongside gender-based violence and mental health support — complementing the in-person care available through doctors, pharmacists, and local providers.

"Access to reproductive health care should not depend on where someone lives or whether they have been forced to leave home. Through Aya Contigo and our partnership with IRC, we’re working to make trusted information, support and pathways to sexual health care more accessible to people affected by displacement in Colombia, including access to contraception and abortion support." Roopan Gill, Co-founder and Executive Director, Vitala Global 

The partnership will:

• Adapt Aya Contigo for the Colombian context, prioritizing confidential contraception access, with integrated referrals for gender-based violence, mental health, and abortion care.

• Explore AI-driven chat triage through a planned 2027 pilot that personalizes each user's path to information, support, and referrals — core to how the platform scales confidential care.

• Strengthen referral pathways to trusted local health providers, building on the IRC's existing presence and community trust in Norte de Santander.

• Generate evidence on cost-effectiveness, equity, and reach to inform scale-up in other humanitarian settings.

  
  

The partnership pairs two things that, alone, aren't enough: a humanitarian presence that can't reach everyone in person, and a digital tool that can't deliver care without local referral pathways and follow-up. Together, they're designed to reach people that facility-based services alone often miss — including adolescents, unmarried clients, and those facing stigma.

The one-year pilot runs from September 2026 to July 2027.

About the International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas.

About Vitala Global

Vitala Global is a tech nonprofit founded by Dr. Roopan Gill, a Canadian-trained OB/GYN with experience across MSF, WHO, and other international health organizations. Its flagship platform, Aya Contigo, is a digital reproductive health companion providing evidence-based, trauma-informe

d support for comprehensive abortion, contraception, and care. Co-designed with users and grassroots partners, Aya Contigo has reached over 60,000 users across Latin America and the United States to date.

For more information, visit Vitala Global's Aya Contigo page or reach out to: Nathaly Spilotros, International Rescue Committee — nathaly.spilotros@rescue.org

Stanzi Fensterseifer, Vitala Global — stanzi@vitalaglobal.org