Humanitarian Response to COVID-19 in High Risk Districts of  Balochistan The pandemic situation of covid-19, globally affected people and their routine life. To respond the emergency, different initiatives have been taken to provide possible support to people in Pakistan. The proposed project is basically a supplementary effort to strengthen the fight against Covid-19 as an emergency response to Government of Balochistan. Project interventions are designed on the needs assessment carried out by BRSP in 778 public health facilities in May, 2020. 
The proposed project will strengthen the services of public health facilities and enhance the capacity of healthcare providers to minimize the spread of covid-19 in Balochistan. Besides capacity building of healthcare providers,  a total of 4,350 health facilities staff will be protected with the essential PPEs, ensuring hygienic environment and  changing behaviors through hand washing practices. Furthermore, the environmental hygiene will also be ensured through disinfecting work places within the health facilities. Proper usage of PPEs will also be ensured through close monitoring and follow-ups by the project staff. 
The targeted communities in high risk districts Quetta, Pishin, Chaghai and Killa Adbullah will be mobilized through indigenous social structures, community institutions such as COs, VOs, LSOs, CBOs, religious leaders and health committees on Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) of Covid-19. The indigenous community resource persons (Male amp Females) will the frontliners of the this mobilization campaign by using IEC material. The religious leaders and community influential will be part and parcel of this mobilization campaign, thus inculcating the hygiene behaviors among beneficiary communities. 
The proposed project has a high value and consideration for creating equal opportunity for women, so the specialized services on MNCH will be ensured for approximately 2,100 women during the project life in targeted health facilities, which would impact in reducing MMR in Balochistan. The tele health services introduced for MNCH services will create a model for government of Balochistan, which could be replicated in remotest districts of Balochistan. The proposed project will create an equal opportunity for 29,744 men, 27,456 women, 14,784 girls and 16,016 boys. BRSP has its strong focus on addressing person with disabilities,  around 6,000 (Men 2,028, women 1,872. Boys 1,092 and girls 1,008) will also be mainstreamed in the current project and will address 6000 (getting benefits of post projects. 

Keeping in view the rapid increase in population, consultations on sexual reproductive health including but not limited to adolescence SRH and gender based violence will be provided at basic health units and communities level. The proposed project will create an opportunity for the women in reproductive age for child spacing for their better health. The proposed project will have strong surveillance system  through establishing an efficient and effective MIS, which would serve as a decision support system for the Government of Balochistan. In addition, the proposed project has compartmentalizes with the on-going projects of BRSP in targeted districts and will create a sustainable impact  on Infection, Prevention and Control of the covid-19 in Balochistan. 


Following are the major activities which will be carried out in proposed project

1. Capacity building of healthcare providers on IPC
2. Provision of PPEs to HCPs in targeted health facilities of 4 districts of Balochistan
3. Disinfection and of health facilities on regular basis
4. Installation of Hand washing places at health facilities level
5. Awareness raising, advocacy and BCC on IPC by  LSOs, VOs and by religious leaders, village health committees, law enforcement agencies 
6. Provision of MNCH services through tele medicine
7. Counselling to adolescence and youth on SRH and GBV
8. Establishment of friendly health spaces at BHUs for SRH counselling