Strengthening Emergency Reproductive Health and Epidemic Diseases Preparedness and Response in Mayom and Rubkona Counties The overall objective of this project is reduce the prevalence and incidence of maternal and child morbidity and mortality by strengthening integration between Health and Nutrition and scaling up Essential lifesaving health care in Mayom and Rubkona Counties. This will be achieved through the following sub-objectives

Objective 1. Contribute to a reduction of diseases incidence and mortality in Rubkona county by promoting rapid detection of outbreak signals and clusters of epidemic-prone diseases.   This shall be done through formation of Payam Epidemic Response Teams, County response teams, and State Response teams. Also, data management systems shall be established and/or strengthened at State, County and facility levels. Data management will be supported by improved communication networks within the county and State and establishment of county data management for prompt reporting of notifiable diseases. In addition, the project will ensure real time data on outbreaks through improved communication and i knowledge amongst all health workers of thresholds that would trigger immediate notification or action that will be central to improving capacities to manage disease epidemics. For efficiency, the project will support upgrading and operationally resuscitating Mankien Epidemic Diseases Centre laboratory in order to examine samples collected from the peripheral laboratories at the level of quality control and link with other referral laboratories in Juba, Nairobi and/or Kampala for diagnostic confirmation. The project will ensure that surveillance data collection and reporting tools are available at each facility. All health personnel will be trained on the correct and consistent use of tools, such as in-patient registers, daily patient registers, weekly and monthly epidemiological summaries, tally sheets, line lists case bases reporting forms, laboratory forms and MampE monthly epidemiological forms, among others. 

Objective 2 Building capacity and resilience of CHDs and communities in Rubkona and Mayom to respond to disease outbreaks in health facilities The project will support CHDs to conduct micro planning at 10 health facilities and train 20 community vaccinators as social mobilizers. d Cold chain will be restored at health facilities in Rubkona by provision of solar fridges, cold boxes, solar panels and batteries for Bentiu hospital. EPI campaigns will be integrated into nutrition activities at static sites and during weekly health facility outreaches to hard-to-reach locations. HHPs will be facilitated to conduct community mobilization during NIDs campaigns and to conduct Mass MUAC screening during weekly EPI outreaches. In addition, growth monitoring and promotion will be conducted during EPI outreaches.

Objective 3: Improved access to sexual and reproductive health services for vulnerable host community women and girls in Rubkona and Mayom. This project will provide comprehensive information on sex education and family planning methods to women and youth and further train local service providers on comprehensive SRH interventions. After mapping referral pathways for access to GBV services Nutrition Workers Community Nutrition Volunteers and HHPs will be trained to identify and refer victims.  SRH kits will be obtained from UNFPA through Health cluster and distributed to women and health facilities. SRH awareness sessions for community members (women, men, boys and girls) and training of frontline service providers on Clinical Management of Rape (CMR) will be undertaken