Reinforcing Emergency Life-saving and Life-sustaining Healthcare in Bama and Magumeri LGAs, Borno State. INTERSOS has been implementing lifesaving health activities within Borno state in covering 4 LGAs: Bama, Magumeri, Dikwa, and Ngala since 2017 by providing free primary health care services to vulnerable populations both IDPs and host community. In Bama LGA, INTERSOS is currently providing free primary health care services (General OPD consultations, rapid diagnosis and treatment of common morbidities such as malaria, SRH services and referral of patients in need of secondary/ specialized health care services) at the GSSSS IDP camp and OTP at the Bama MCH facility, and is the only health actor in Magumeri LGA.

Through this project, INTERSOS intention is to strengthen the existing health system by providing support to the MCH health facility (in Bama LGA), and Magumeri Mobile clinics in the remote hard-to-reach (H2R) parts of Magumeri. INTERSOS will support MoH to ensure the continuation of health services by deployment of heath staff, capacity building / training, essential medical equipment and supplies, support in reproductive health services including Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (BEmONC) and SGBV services for survivors of sexual assault. The project will facilitate the referral of patients in need of secondary / specialized health care facilities to Maiduguri. INTRESOS will also engage in community mobilization and engagement through the CHV to provide health education, active case finding and referral of patients to the health facility. In addition, INTERSOS will mainstream protection, GBV inclusion and WaSH in health facilities and COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) throughout the stages and activities of the project. 

Through the NHF funding, INTERSOS proposes to support increasing the local health systems capacity for readiness and response for cholera, malaria and other epidemic prone diseases like meningitis and measles. This includes procurement and pre-positioning of cholera kits, essential drugs and supplies in the supported facilities. The interventions seek to reinforce community dialogue and engagements in all health activities to systematically collect and provide answers to questions coming from the community and facilitate community-led response planning. In addition, the intervention will strengthen capacity of the existing CHWs to be able to detect and report suspected cases in support of the EDPT strategy of disease prevention. For a sustainable approach that will promote easy takeover by the MOH, INTERSOS will recruit only professional health positions, while the government will provide CHEWs and other support but INTERSOS will pay a performance- based incentive.

By addressing those unfunded gaps (through this proposal to NHF) in a well-coordinated rights-based approach that engages the target communities, government (SMOH, the Emergency Operations Centre [EOC] etc.,), UN agencies and the existing coordination structures:- a complete package of quality lifesaving and life-sustaining health services will be provided the most vulnerable populations in Bama MCH Clinics, and 6 Mobile clinics in hard to reach areas in Magumeri. All services will be provided in accordance with guidelines approved by the health sector, SMoH, NCDC, WHO, SPHERE and other international standards, and in accordance with humanitarian principles -- free from all forms discrimination, based on prioritized need, avoiding duplication and with a focus on specific vulnerabilities, including pregnant and lactating women (PLW), persons with disabilities, elderly, chronically ill and IDPs.