Emergency Health and  Nutrition Response Project in Shilabo, Dobawayn, Denan and Gursum woredas of  Korehe, Shabelle and Fafan  Zones, Somali Region Organization for welfare and Development in Action (OWDA) is proposing multi-sectoral lifesaving, emergency health and nutrition project. The main objective of the project is to improve health and nutrition status and reduce morbidity and mortality of all age groups particularly the vulnerable groups like infants, children under the age of five and pregnant and lactating women in drought and conflict-affected target woreda of Somali Region, Ethiopia. Likewise, the project will give particular emphasis on the current COVID-19 pandemic prevention measure to contain the spread of the virus. The project will support 61,928 beneficiaries (including 22 IDPs sites with 3,855 H.Hs with the source of DTM20) by an estimated budget of $ 190,000.06($100,000 for Health and 90,0000.06  for Nutrition). 

The project target woredas are all hotspot priority 1 woredas: Dobawayn and Shilabo of Korehe Zone, Gursum of Fafan Zone and Danan of Shebelle Zone.  The project target area limited health workforce, Low number of trained health staff with limited capacity to undertake the health and nutrition activities. The proposed Lifesaving emergency health and nutrition Response project will prevent, detect and treat vulnerable communities though MHNT services provision, Facility and community-based surveillance, health worker /health extension workers capacity building, case management, outbreak support, mass vaccination of illegible children and reproductive age group and acute malnutrition through Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) including Therapeutic Feeding Program (TFP) and Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSFP) for moderately malnourished children of 6 to 59 months old and malnourished PLW. 

The project will support the nutrition screening of all children 6-59 months, Provision of CMAM training in a short session using prevention and control measures of COVID19 for service providers for the new guideline, Support the treatment of SAM with/ without medical complications in children between 6-59 months in the OTP and SC sites, Support OTP and SC sites for referral cases, support TSFP and OTP commodities to end-users, provision of food for mothers/caretakers of children in stabilization centers (SCs), provision of TSFP service for children 6-59 and PLW with moderate acute malnutrition, support the optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency (IYCF-E) practices for infants and young children under 24 months and support the nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and continuum of care. Mainstreaming of Gender and Protection activities will be also included. In line with the 2020 Ethiopian Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), the proposed project will deliver a full-spectrum of emergency health and nutrition intervention including prevention, treatment, management, community mobilization and case identification to achieve and sustain the project impact. Exceptionally vulnerable women and children in drought-affected and conflict-induced communities.

 For the screening of TSF, OWDA will adopt a new strategy which is conducting the screening in house to house visit rather conducting the screening in mass gathering, and this will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.  For Short training, OWDA will divide the short training session into clusters, and each cluster will have maximum training participant of five health workers where these five health workers will use Personal protective equipment (PPE). For Mother to Mother support groups, OWDA is planning to reduce the mother to mother support groups in very small groups with a maximum number of 3 mothers peer to peer meetings. OWDA will provide personal protective equipment’s (PPE). OWDA has already PPE supplies in place in its stock of  Denan, therefore OWDA will provide personal protective equipment to this project beneficiary where needed.