To strengthen Government Health facilities with technical support to reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality and continue essential health care services in  the context of COVID-19 outbreak in district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The 2019-20 COVID-19 pandemic have reached Pakistan in February 2020. As of May 14, 2020, the number of confirmed cases in the country is 35793, with 9690 recoveries and 775 deaths. Punjab is currently the region with highest number of cases at over 13561.  COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
The fragile health care system in Pakistan has further weakened on the onset of COVID- 19 where extra measures and steps are being required to combat the current pandemic situation and also continue the regular health care services to regular diseases like PHC, MNCH, SRH, Immunization and ANC, PNC care etc. The data shows that health care workers including Doctors and Paramedic and other health staff in health facilities are at high risk due non availability of appropriate PPEs, lack of capacities to handle corona patients’ situations, lack of proper equipping/ disinfecting the health facilities to control transmitting the virus in the premises of health facilities. This challenging situation has already taken the lives of frontline health staff and are constantly being affecting from the virus which is resulting in the gravity of the situation and need immediate response to tackle these issues and ensure enhanced capacity of the health care system at hospitals and in outreach health services to continue provision of the regular health services along with treatment of the corona patients.

In response the challenging situation out of COVID-19 pandemic, SHED will conduct capacity building/training program of the health staff including doctors, paramedics, vaccinators and outreach health workers in the targeted health facilities. The trainings will focus on IPC and other preventive measures as per WHO guidelines and protocols to continue essential regular health services in hospitals and in communities through outreach. The project will also organize trainings on implementation and monitoring of guidelines and protocols to health care providers. The health care workers at community level will be provided with trainings on preventive measures in COVID-19 situation for awareness raising in communities. The project will procure and provide appropriate PPE to targeted health facilities. For disinfection and infection prevention at facility level, the project will provide services to keep disinfecting the targeted health facilities with different measures hand sensitization of individuals, disinfecting OPDs, Wards, OTs, Labour Rooms, Testing Laboratories, staff offices, waiting rooms etc with approved sprays. This activity will continue through the project life. Medical supplies, RH medicines, dignity, newborn baby and delivery kits will be provided to the health facilities to continue outreach services at community level. The project will provide ambulance services to the selected health facilities on need basis. These services will be utilized for continuation of CEmOC services at tertiary care hospitals for referral cases. The project will identify and actively engage different community forums like District Support Groups, Local Support Organizations and Community Based Organizations to participate and support the project activities.

The project will focus on inclusion of gender, vulnerable population including age, PWDs, children, minority and ethnic groups, widows, orphans, transgender and extremely poors in all project activities. Ongoing monitoring along with line departments and communities will be an integral part of the project to ensure accountability and transparency. Protection of vulnerable groups will be ensured in each activity of the project.