Strengthening prevention and response of scabies outbreak through case management and social and behavior change communication Following the current El-Nino event which affects many countries globally including Ethiopia, drought and extreme water shortage is prevailing in wide area of the country. This has further compromised the already marginal hygiene and sanitation practice of the rural community and give favorable environment for water-borne communicable diseases like scabies, diarrheal diseases etc. According to USA National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) El Nino has an 80 per cent chance of lasting into early spring 2016, and hence, this extended period will escalate the number of vulnerable groups to such diseases. Currently, PHEM surveillance revealed that scabies is becoming beyond sporadic clinical cases but is turn to be a public health concern and affecting wider geographic areas and population groups especially in drought affected nutrition hotspot woredas, and hence require massive public mobilization and public health emergency interventions.
In line with the Federal Ministry of Health Scabies Outbreak Preparedness and Response Plan, this project aims at contributing to control the current scabies outbreak by directly targeting 200,000 people and indirectly 7.8 million people in  77  highly affected woredas in Amhara (47), Tigray (22 ) and Oromia (8) 
Scabies is a cross-sectoral public health problem with water, hygiene and sanitation issues to be addressed. There is a need for awareness raising, social mobilization, health interventions and non- food items are required. As such, the project is a multi-sectoral response which will strengthen the scabies surveillance, emergency preparedness and response by: 
1. Preparedness activities: 
	Purchasing of drugs for required for preparedness and response.
	Printing and distribution of IEC materials 
2. Case management and outbreak response:
	Preparation/revision of standards and norms – comprehensive clinical care, prevention and treatment protocols and algorithms. 
	Follow up of  response 
3. Awareness raising and community mobilization:
	Use the existing Health Development Army to mobilize the community to be part of the response activities. 
	Preparation, printing and distribution of different posters, brochures and leaflets.
	Sensitization of religious, community and political leaders.
	Develop an emergency scabies communication strategy with focus on risk factors.
4. Training and orientation: 
	Preparation of training materials.
	Development of WASH response strategies with clear and concrete steps on how to address the risk factors.
	Orientation/training of health workers, surveillance officers and first line responders at all levels.
	Training of regional health bureau staff (PHEM and Nutrition staff).
	Training of field epidemiology residents at national level.
5. Advocacy and resource mobilization:
	Mapping available fund and other supplies, identify gaps and mobilize additional funds.
	Mapping of partners working with WASH and outbreak response activities.
6. Logistic and supply chain management:
	Quantification and gap analysis and purchasing of resources required for preparedness and response.
	Ongoing inventory of stocks available for case management.
	Monitoring the distribution and utilization of supplies. 
7. Coordination:
	Mapping and coordination of partners working on scabies outbreak response and any of the above key activities.
	Bi-weekly performance update among partners.
8. Monitoring and evaluation:
	Overall response evaluation every quarter.

The activities are part of the detailed activities plan in the Scabies Outbreak Preparedness and Response Plan. UNICEF together with partners have developed an operational plan, a narrative explaining the response strategy, scabies cluster indicators and activities. All documents have been developed based on the Scabies Outbreak Preparedness and Response Plan (see attached).