Improving access to emergency life-saving health care services for people living in undeserved areas of Afghanistan There are unprecedented levels of health needs among people of Afghanistan. 18.1 million people need humanitarian health assistance including 7.9 million children and 3.3 million women (20% increase from 2021). The proposed interventions under this project aim to contribute to filling in the service delivery gap and strengthening the les-than-optimal life-saving essential health services through provision of needed medical equipment and medical supplies for strengthening Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) and other emergency service provision, prevention and control of communicable diseases outbreaks, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) interventions, and emergency nutrition services. 

For responding to the increased load of patients during winter, WHO will supply major hospitals with the essential medicine, and medical equipment and supplies to enhance provision of life-saving health services including RMNCH. WHO will provide Pneumonia kits, PED SAM kits, measles kits, IEHK basic kits, and family planning commodities and portable ultrasound machines and newborn incubators to the health facilities located in the target areas. Moreover, to enhance emergency health service provision, WHO will provider in-service competency-based trainings on BEmONC, ENC, IMNCI, ETAT and FP to the healthcare providers of the targeted areas. The target provinces for the above-mentioned services will be Badakhshan, Baghlan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Jawzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Wardak, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Takhar, and Zabul and their target districts as per the allocation strategy for 3rd Reserve Allocation.  

For responding to increased load of infectious diseases during the winter, WHO will deploy 22 Surveillance Support Teams (SSTs) to 11 priority districts (2 teams per district) of the target areas including capacity building of the deployed teams. Moreover, to further strengthen preparedness and response to the possible outbreaks during winter season, WHO will provide surveillance and laboratory supplies and consumables to the public health laboratories that will cover the cases of the target locations. The geographical focus for outbreaks preparedness and response interventions will be Badakhshan, Dykundi, Ghazni, Jawzjan, and Nooristan provinces and their target districts as per the allocation strategy for 3rd Reserve Allocation.

RCCE interventions will be utilised for engaging communities through two-way communication approaches to raise awareness, promote protective behaviours, identify community concerns, contact tracking and debunking of rumours and reflect the feedback of community dwellers in design and implementation of health interventions. Furthermore, health personnel from targeted 26 provinces, including at national level, will be trained on RCCE, focusing on weatherization. To address a wider audience, around 2,700 minutes of video and 2,925 minutes of radio spots will be aired through national and provincial media and social media channels. In addition, information, education, and communication (IEC) materials, including flip-charts, posters and brochures, will be printed and distributed on key health issues. The RCCE interventions will mainly focus on 26 targeted provinces and 91 targeted districts as per the allocation strategy for 3rd Reserve Allocation. 

In response to the possible increase of SAM cases with medical complication during winter season, WHO will provide inpatient therapeutic care for 1417 (712 boys and 705 girls) children with complicated SAM. The services will be provided in 12 IPD-SAM centers located in Badakhshan, Balkh, Zabul, and Paktika provinces. The project will involve functional upgrading of IPD-SAM/ TFU’s through provision of milk preparation kits, warm and cold chain system, bedside chairs, IPC, and medical equipment.