Current Project supported by UNICEF.
Project title: Provision of Integrated Health and Nutrition programme (IHNP) services in Bosaso district in Bari region. May 2020 to April 2021
ISDP has been in partnership with UNICEF since 2015. May 2020 ISDP signed new PD with UNICEF Integrated health and nutrition programme (IHNP) services in Bosaso district in Bari region. The aim of this project is to provide quality services to the most vulnerable people living IDPs and poor host communities who is facing challenges of limited access to essential health care services living in Bosaso district.
Moreover, the project is focused on lifesaving services while working towards strengthening the systems and capacities of MoH and communities to enhance sustainability.
The project intervention supports are 5fixed facilities, one OTP mobile, 15 MBA sites and one stabilization centre in Bossaso district.
The five Health facilities provide integrated primary Health services including outpatient medical consultation and treatment, nutrition treatment for severely malnourished children, immunization, antenatal care, skilled midwife-assisted facility-based delivery services, postnatal care, maternal counselling and support on healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, health nutrition and hygiene promotion including IYCF promotion. In addition, the referral support for complicated cases is facilitated to the referral hospital through the project supported ambulances.
At the MBAs, mothers have access to safe private lactation space to enable them to breastfeed, in this forums IYCF promotion is done as well as mother led MUAC training, mentorship and follow up is done to empower the mothers on optimal nutrition care practices as well as active screening for malnutrition at the household level and referral of the same.
Supplies: Logistic Management and Information System (LMIS)/Supply Management system
ISDP and district LMIS team has conducted joint weekly supervision for all health facilities and provided on job training for better supply management at the health facility and, ensuring incidents of stock outs and commodity expiries are adequately managed in good time. Five health facility, ISDP pharmacist responsible for the usage of the tool, the patient flow system ensures that medicine prescribed is dispensed at the pharmacy and details updated in the LMIS.
Each health facility submits the LMIS report monthly which captures all crucial information needed to manage the supply. few health facilities that lacked the LMIS reporting tools were provided with them. ISDP in collaboration with UNICEF ensured consistent availability of adequate supplies required for the implementation of activities at all facilities during this reporting period. ISDP works closely with regional MoH and health facilities to prepare distribution plans and ensure timely replenishment of supplies to the respective health facilities while preventing stock-outs.
ISDP supported the transportation and distribution of supplies to the respective health facilities. This reporting period recorded minimum stock-outs within the five health facilities in Bosaso strict.
Monitoring and Supervision Activities Conducted period of Nov to January 2021
ISDP/MoH district team conducts weekly jointly supervision and monitoring of five health facilities, BGH, MBA sites, and mobile team OTP sites. The main idea behind this supervision was to monitor the health and nutrition staff daily activities, available supplies and general sanitation and hygiene in the worksites as well as giving on the job training and share feedback on monthly data to the staffs.
ISDP, and MoH team monitored the quality of health and nutrition services provided in the health facilities and OTP sites, Cross checked monthly report data, indicators and registers, ensure utilization and quality of Services family planning in the health facilities with awareness-raising in the communities and provided on-jobs training the CHW, qualified nurse and midwives of how to deliver the appropriate message to the community and encourage them to seek early treatment to avoid complications.
The supportive supervision’s main tasks achieved included guiding the staff on the proper and correct way of filling and monitoring stock cards as well as the LMIS register books including the reporting mechanism since there were some challenges with the health facilities who were not correctly reporting.
Health and Nutrition routine services
Since H&N project started in May 2020 to April 2021 The primary health care and nutrition service provided under one roof for both fixed facilities and mobile site however the project interventions enable vulnerable communities to readily access basic and quality health and nutrition activities at no cost to the beneficiary.
The aim of the project was to go beyond the implementation of the services with a strong focus on community empowerment and health system strengthening approach during this reporting period was conducted three days for Community sensitization and advocacy meeting reached 92 beneficiaries and 3 days for IYCF/Campaign awareness rising for child feeding advocacy participated 90 community members in the three days sessions the aim for advocacy meeting was to have a close understanding of the community the service available at their respective areas to build community ownership and close working relationship with health facilities in charge and staff This trusting relationship enables them to serve as a link between nutrition and health services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery at the community level.
By linking the community to be actively involved in the activities of the health facilities have been an achievement. this reporting period health and nutrition project, the impact of COVID-19 has translated into a lower utilization of health services.
The detrimental effect of misinformation that was caused beneficiaries with the fear of catching the virus from health facilities and staff resulted in people seeking medical care only when in critical condition.
However, ISDP with collaboration MoH has done community sensitization on how to prevent coronavirus and distributed PPE and prevention massages on covid-19 to minimize the misconceptions from the community.
FIG 1: Right side The ISDP-IYCF officer doing a cooking demonstration in the community center and left side one of the caregivers explaining the importance of this food in front of the participants.
FIG 2: Mothers feeding their children the food we cooked at the community Centre.
FIG 1: The ISDP-IYCF officer Asking questions about IYCF During community sensitization and advocacy meeting awareness.
FIG 2: Meeting participants raising hands to answer the question about IYCF.
