Building resilience of affected populations in Borno and Yobe States through improved access to basic water, Sanitation, and Hygiene services Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States are threatened by yet another cholera outbreak in 2022 while contending with the effects of the 2021 cholera outbreak and other infectious diseases including the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently Monkey Pox in the region. In Yobe state the First cholera case was confirmed on 29/7/2022 As of 31/08/2022, the state had reported 689 cumulative cases across 10 LGAs with 30 associated deaths. The Case fatality rate stands at 4.4% while Borno continues to report suspected cholera cases.

Deteriorating public health conditions threatened by another cholera outbreak in 2022, reduced humanitarian footprints due to insecurity and dwindling funding, Government mandated camp closures in Maiduguri leading to an influx of IDPs/returnees into camps and host communities along the transit routes, floods, rainstorms, and other adverse weather conditions have further complicated the humanitarian response in Mafa and Yunusari LGAs of Borno and Yobe States respectively requiring a holistic and coordinated approach that will address resultant humanitarian needs.

With the identification of WASH gaps in the target locations of Mafa and Yunusari LGAs to include, the prevalence of open defecation occasioned by occurrence of acute watery diarrhea/cholera incidences, limited access to safe water sources, poor access to sanitation facilities, low levels of knowledge in good hygiene practices, and sustainability of the WASH infrastructures, lack of access to hygiene items including menstrual hygiene items and loss of livelihoods, this project aims to leverage on JDF’s knowledge, expertise, reach/access, and resources, benefiting from combined and varied strengths of the government and other partners toward the shared goal of improving living conditions and promoting personal and public well-being of affected populations in Mafa and Yunusari LGAs through improved access to basic WASH services.

The response will improve and sustain access to WASH services to 7,500 men, women, girls, and boys including IDPs, returnees, and their host communities in Mafa and Yunusari LGAs of Borno and Yobe States respectively, prioritizing improved access to safe water through rehabilitation of two strategic water facilities, operation, and maintenance of water facilities, water quality analysis and monitoring, support health institutions and schools in implementing locations with latrine cleaning materials. In order to increase sustainable access to improved household sanitation at scale in target locations, JDF will adopt community-led total sanitation CLTs to close the huge sanitation access gaps aimed at promoting a community-driven process.

Hygiene promotion activities will include door-to-door visits, focused group discussions with a focus on menstrual hygiene management, mass/speaker campaigns, and the use of Information, Education, and Communication materials/activities targeting behavior change. Hygiene promotional activities will be carried out by trained male and female community-based hygiene promoters including persons with disabilities. Hygiene promotional activities will be supported by the provision of hygiene items that will include menstrual hygiene management items to adolescent girls, Pregnant and lactating women.

The project acknowledges that vulnerabilities vary hence particular emphasis will be placed on the most vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, women, men elderly, and groups with special needs” in targeting beneficiaries. The project is committed to reaching people with disabilities and has put in place deliberate measures to achieve this objective.

In responding to the WASH needs in Mafa and Yunusari LGAs, JDF will not only be providing life-saving services but will also consolidate the achievements of last year’s Cholera response in the BAY states and will be contributing to the drive in the attainment of the sustainable development goals 6.