Integrated Emergency Response to AWD/Cholera Outbreak in Al Bayda This project is an extension and expansion of NFDHR’s current “Emergency response to AWD/Cholera outbreak in the Al Bayda Governorate” (funded by OCHA) and is in reaction to the current outbreak and upsurge in cholera/AWD throughout the country. Ultimately, the project’s goal is to contribute to the Integrate Response Plan: Yemen cholera and acute watery diarrhea outbreak overall objective, which is to reduce cholera/AWD incidence and case fatality. By doing so, the proposed project will also help achieve the YHRP WASH and Health cluster objectives (CO-1 amp CO-2 CO-1 amp CO-3 respectively), which in turn will contribute to achieving the overall YHRP strategic objectives. 

All stakeholders, including Health offices, rural water authorities and local leaders, will be fully engaged in this project. A Local Task-force for cholera response will be established to monitor the project’s activities and report its progress on a daily basis to all relevant partners, including the WASH and Health clusters. 

Beneficiaries of the project will be those most vulnerable to the cholera outbreak regardless of gender and age: girls, boys, women and men, including IDPs and host communities in the targeted areas will benefit from this project if suspected or confirmed to be infected with AWD/cholera or if at great risk of becoming infected. Populations infected by AWD/cholera will benefit from the previously and newly established DTCs through our target districts. Additionally, rural population affected by AWD/cholera, which are further from the DTCs will be supported through the public awareness activities and cleaning campaigns conducted in the targeted areas will address all populations, as each gender and age has a respective role to play culturally and socially in practicing hygiene and sanitation which is important to containing the cholera/AWD outbreak. 

Our strategy will be to establish a team in each target district that will be trained and made responsible for responding to all cholera and AWD reports from vulnerable areas. They will also be in charge of training community volunteers, testing and chlorinating water sources, assessing and supporting sanitation, and distributing WASH items and materials during public health promotion activities. Community volunteers will be trained in effective reporting of new AWD/cholera cases and in making efficient referrals to established Diarrhea Treatment Centers (DTCs) and ORCs.

In the project, NFDHR will establish and sustain 5 diarrhea treatment centers (DTCs) with the required health and WASH facilities for management of severe cases as the following:
1- Continue working on the existing two DTCs in Mukayras and Ash Sharyah districts.
2- Establish new DTCs in Radman Al Awad  and Al Malagim districts.
3- Scale up and sustain working on the DTC in Radaa city.

In addition, NFDHR will establish 15 ORS corners (ORCs), diarrhea treatment units (DTUs) at 15 community and primary health care level for management of mild and moderate cases. The ORS corners will be established in the districts where cases of AWD/Cholera have been reported.

These five DTCs are located within central districts so they will provide services for cases referred for many surrounding districts of Al Bayda governorate where cholera cases have been reported.

Men and women health service providers will be supported to provide the services in the DTCs and ORCs

Finally, the public health awareness activities will be implemented through home to home visits, community awareness sessions, distribution of hygiene kits, jerry cans and water filters, and assessments of sanitation coverage in areas with reported AWD/cholera cases. In areas considered most vulnerable, affected populations will be targeted through intensive cleaning campaigns and hygiene promotion activities.