AHEDI COVID-19 Project AHEDI together with Arua district NGO Network and Manyak Anti Corruption Coalition will implement the COVID-19 project under ELNHA under the following activities:

The activities are aimed at enriching stakeholder knowledge on COVID-19 so as to influence their perceptions and beliefs on the pandemic and foster positive change for effective control of the disease. The action embraces two approaches:  behavior change communication and improved health promotional and personal hygiene practices. It extendsto cover prevention and response address the needs of those affected by the pandemic.

A: Prevention

1. COVID-19 aligned behavior change information communication, health education and personal hygiene promotion. This sensitization is intended to create awareness on COVID-19, the virus and the disease, how it spreads and its prevention. This will create the critical mass of knowledge for appropriate decision making and behavior change required to effectively fight the pandemic. Planned activities are:

1.1. Conduct live spot community healthand personal hygiene education: Sensitization programs will be run to educate the community on COVID-19. This will involve:

1.1.1.Door-to-door sensitization: The team will be equipped with key information on COVID-19 required for effective control of the pandemic. The educators will be examined prior to field excursion for assurance that they are not infected and will not pose a risk to thecommunity. They will be equipped with personal protection equipments like facial masks and sanitizers to protect them against risksin the field.

1.1.2 Radio programs: Topical issues will be identified and aired on radio for mass sensitization. This will use both English and local languages most commonly used in the community

a. Radio talk shows will be organized and facilitated by health experts with grounding in public health and strong knowledge on COVID-19

b. Radio spots messages will be constructed based on a mix of technical matters, community perceptionsand behavioral constructs and will be played on radio throughout the implementation period of the action. This will help to keep information on the pandemic alive throughout the implementation period. The messages may be reviewed and updated as and when new facts and perceptions arise so as to keep the spots message relevant.

1.1.3. Boda boda talk-talk: Sensitization messages with detailed information on COVID-19 response protocol including statistical facts on prevalence of the pandemic as well as ministerial policy issues and guidance will be packaged, recorded and played on moving vehicles and motorcycles around town, in the villages and settlements to reinforce sensitization program on radio. This will help to reach the vulnerable communities thatcannot afford radios.

1.1.4. Print and distribute public health information on COVID-19: This action will use the information already provided by international agencies, national authorities and health experts to:

a. Translate advisories, protocolsandadvocacy messages COVID-19:  key messages made available by WHO, MoH, Oxfam and other humanitarian platforms on COVID-19 will be translated in to three (3) local languages namely: Arabic, Lugbara, Kakwa). This will localize the literature on COVID-19for easier and wider reading and reception among the lowly educated local population. The information will then be disseminated to communities both in print and on air:

b. Print and distribute advisories, protocols and advocacy messages on COVID-19: Key messages on COVID-19 both in their original English version and translated versions will be printed and distributed to make information on COVID-19 available in the community at all times. This will continuously keep information on the pandemic alive in thecommunity and maintain community consciousness on COVID-19 at all times

i. Flyers will be printed for distribution to individuals. This will carry the message up to  household level

ii. Banners will be produced on water-proof materials and displayed at public places like women centers, schools, markets, places of worship and offices. This will stay and carry information on COVID-19 displayed and visible for a longer time in the community. Its attractive nature will compel more people to read the messages.

1.1.5. Social media engagement: Mass social media platforms will be created for targeted mobilization and sensitization.  Key advocacy messages made available on COVID-19 by WHO, MoH, Oxfam and other humanitarian platforms will be imputed and disseminated on the mass social media platforms.
a. Bulk SMS messaging: An SMS platform will be created for mass mobilization, sensitization and surveillance on COVID-19. Community members will be recruited on to the platform and be sensitized on useof the platform. Pre-payments will be made under the Action for use of the platform, so sending messages on to the platform will be free of charge. This will enable vulnerable communities effectively use the platform for accessing and sending messages onCOVID-19. This is particularly important in surveillance since it will help communitiesin reporting suspected cases on time.
b. Virtual conferences on COVID-19 topical issues:
A multi-task social media platform will becreated for key actors notably members ofinteragency and district task forces on COVID-19, project staff and key local authorities.Virtual conferences will then be supported for targeted rapid mobilization and response among the members. It will be used to facilitate dissemination of new emerging issues and support discussion of status reports and reviews. In so doing it will help in effectual management of the pandemic while maintaining the physical distance recommendations by WHO, MoH and humanitarian platforms on COVID-19. In this action,Whatsapp, Skype and Zoomed platforms will be particularly used.
1.2. Institutional health promotion and advocacy on COVIG-19: Once the government waives the suspension on public gatherings, places of crowd and social services remain high at risk becauseof the numbers of people and movement involved. The action will carry out targeted hygiene promotion, education and sensitization in schools market centers and places of worship.
a. Health talks: Key messages on COVID-19 will be packaged for school children,market goers and followers in the various places of worship and delivered using the project team, and authorities in the facilities in coordinated manner
b. Distribution of advisories, protocols and advocacy messages on COVID-19: The printedcopies of thekey messages on COVID-19 will be distributed and displayed at schools, market centers and places of worship to make information on COVID-19 available in the public places at all times. This will continuously keep information on the pandemicalive inthe public places and maintain consciousness among the facility users on COVID-19 at all times
i. Flyers will be distributed facility users.
ii. Banners will be produced on water-proof materials and displayed at the public places schools, market centers andplaces of worship. This will stay and carry information on COVID-19 displayed and visible for a longer time in the facilities and among the facility users.
1.3. Public health and hygiene promotion
1.3.1 Procure and distribute hygiene promotional facilities: In addition to the behavior change communication and education or sensitization for personal and institutional hygiene promotion, hygiene promotional facilities will be procured and distributed to schools, administrative centers, market centersand places worship as well as centers of high daily population concentrations like food distribution centers and community meeting centers. This will help to support required hygiene promotional practices notably hand washing and curb spread of coronavirus andother hygiene related diseases.
a. Procure and install masshand washing cans: These will be distributed to schools, administrative centers, market centers and places of worship as well as centers of high daily population concentrations like food distribution centers and community meeting centers to help support hand washing in the centers.
b. Procure and distribute water delivery jerry cans: These will be complimentary to hand washing cans and is intended to facilitate water collection from the nearest source for delivery to the hand washing point where the cans are installed.
c.Procure and distribute soap and detergents: These will be complimentary to hand washing cans and help to clean and/or disinfect thehand. Preference will be given to liquid soapfor public use. Alcohol based sanitizers will only be delivered to key actors who continuously get engaged in response activities under COVID-19 response or other humanitarian responses like food destruction
1.3.2 Cashtransfer to community members involved in installing mass hand washing cans: In consultation with the local authorities, women and youth will be identified among the community members to construct and install basements for the mass hand washing cans. This will foster women and youth involvement and participation in COVID-19 response.

B: Response

2 In the event COVID-19 strikes, several medical care, social and economic needs become eminent. Those affected will suffer stigma, emotional to physical violence and economic hardships andhumanitarian systems will be over stressed. Under this action, support will be given to those affected and their families/dependants in order to assist them access medical care and build resilience. Support will also be given to strengthen the existinghealth system for improved response

2.1. Complementary support to existing health system in care and treatment of COVID-19 cases:
2.1.1 Procure and distribute basic equipments and sundries for COVID-19 treatment: Key equipment and sundries will be procuredand distrusted to health facilities designated to manage COVID-19 cases.
i. Procure and distribute anti-bacterial hospital mattresses: These will be distributed to health centers designated as COVID-19 treatment centers for the patients andthose quarantined after havinghad contacts with infected persons.
ii. Procure and distribute N95 facial masts: These will be used to protect the health workers and other responders in the COVID-19 pandemic
iii. Procure and install hand washing cans: These will bedistributed to health centers to support hand washing in the facilities
iv. Procure and distribute water delivery jerry cans: These will facilitate water collection from the nearest source for delivery to the hand washing point where the cans are installed.
v. Procure and distribute soap and detergents: These will be used to clean and/or disinfect the hand.
2.1.2. Support to those directly affected by COVID-19
i. Provide psychosocial support for those affected and their families:Once infected byCOVID-19,those affected and their immediate families will fall victim to discrimination and associated stigma. Psychosocial support will help to mitigate the negative impact of COVIC-19 on those affected by the disease and their dear ones.
2.1.3. Surveillance: Ascontagious disease, information on all cases whether suspected or real will be collected and referred to designated health facilities for verification. Community perceptions and social behavior that are likely to propagate spread of thediseasewillalso bemonitored and acted upon. The surveillance will involve close collaboration and coordination with the existing health system and task forces already built on COVID-19. Information gained from the communities will be followed for verificationand cases referred using the established referral system to designated facilities for further management
a. Data capture and follow-ups on cases reported from communities: The action will institute effective surveillance system for information capture and follow-uponcases reported from communities. This will partly use the mass SMS platform created underactivity 1.1.5a.above. It will use the health structures in place to support the project team. Information captured will be recorded and updated regularly to produce weekly or monthly COVID-19status reports
b. Contact tracing: All persons established to have comeinto contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases (patients) will be followed and presented for screening. Similarly, persons suspected tohave come fromareas rated as high risk will be followed-up and presented for screening and/or quarantine

3.  Other activities directly linked to the response

This action will be delivered in close collaboration and coordination with local districtand interagencytaskforces, the local authorities and full involvement of the target beneficiaries in the Arua district.. The overall progress of the response and implementation of activities will be closely monitored and regularly reviewed toenable good follow-up actions to beinstituted and achieve the desired objective of preventing COVID-19 incidence in the community.

3.1. Project inception: Project inception meeting will be held with members of the district and interagency task force,local authorities andrepresentativesof the beneficiary community.
3.2. Monitoring and Evaluation
a. Conduct routine field monitoring visits and follow-ups: A data base will be created to capture information on COVID19 and project implementation progress. Information on the status of COVID-19willbe routinely captured and entered on to the data base on daily basis. In case of any reported cases of coronavirus disease, the actions taken and findings will accordingly be updated on the database. This information may be received directlyfromthe community or through the project staff in the field. Similarly, information on the project implementation progress will be routinely captured and entered on to the data base on daily basis and be used for makingprogress reports and corrective action memos.
b.Conduct weekly reviews: The data captured in Activity 3.1 above will be collated and summarized to develop weekly reports. This will be used to facilitate weekly review meetings by the project team. Members of the interagency and district task forces maybe invited to attend the reviews if the circumstance warrants so.
c. Facilitate project team to attend interagency review meetings on COVID-19: Core project staffs (Project Manager, Surveillance focal person and MEALOfficer) will be facilitated to attend interagency task force meetings on COVID-19.The team willalso attend such meetings as may be convened by district task force on COVID-19.
d. Conduct project end evaluation meeting: At the end, a terminal evaluation will be conducted to assess thecontribution of the project towards managing the COVID-19 pandemic. This evaluation meeting will draw participants from the interagency task force on COVID-19, the district task force, key local authoritiesand the project team.
Monitoring andEvaluation
#weekly reviews
o Stationery
o Refreshments
o Airtime for coordination
# Interagencyreview meetings
o Fuel
o SDA
o Air time for coordination
Quarterly stakeholder review meetings
Psychosocial support
Issues
o Economichardship (people livingon hand-to-mouth, economic growth affected by 3%)
o Emotional violence
o Stigma (prevents people from showing up and declare their status)
o Physical assault (5 women murdered # police report)
# Contacttracing
o Fuel
o Air time
o SDA
oDocumentation (stationery
# Surveillance
o Fuel
o Air time
o SDA