Sustainable Health and Nutrition Interventions for Conflict-affected IDPs, Returnees and Host Communities in Jebel Moon Locality, West Darfur State (multi-sector). Concern Worldwide has been implementing quality health and nutrition services in West Darfur, including Jebel Moon locality, since 2004. The proposed project will be part of an overall health system strengthening strategy developed and adopted by Concern Worldwide based on WHO health system strengthening guidelines that covers Concern’s areas of operation in West Darfur in partnership with MoH at state and locality level. The project targets four fixed health facilities (Seleia, Manjura, Hejlija and Gozmino) and one outreach clinic to Arafa communities in Jebel Moon locality. These clinics target 8,445, 2,477, 2,580, 5,839 and 2,407 beneficiaries respectively.

In this project, Concern will be continue using its HCUEP approach " How Concern Understands Extreme Poverty” which focuses on increasing assets, reducing risk and vulnerability (to ill health) and promotes equality in health services provision and access. Concern will link micro, meso and macro level interventions towards creating a more holistic and sustainable approach to achieving the planned outcomes for this project. 

At micro level the project will influence health seeking behaviours and encourage participation of community in health service accountability. Improving feeding practices and understanding nutrition is central to improving community resilience. 

At meso or service provision level the project will expand the services and improve quality through supporting improved skills and management of health staff. Support to the Local Health Authorities will equip them with skills in information management and planning and improve access to appropriate supplies from the SMoH while at macro level, Concern will ensure a close coordination with other national and international partners to engage the Humanitarian Aid Commission, Government of Sudan, UN Agencies on interventions and resources required to build a sustainable PHC system as described in the long term National 25 Years Strategic Plan.

This project will also mainstream and fully integrate nutrition into the existing MoH PHC services and improve access to and quality of these health and nutrition interventions.

The project will benefit from Concern’s experience in safe disposal and segregation of medical wastes at facility level. It will also use environmentally-friendly materials such as fabric-made bags to carry Ready to Use Therapeutic/Supplementary Food that can be washed and used several times safely instead of using plastic bags that harm the environment.

During this project, a competent MoH team composed of 6-8 competent staff will be trained and deployed as Rapid Response Team (RRT) to assess, manage and respond to public health and nutrition events such as outbreaks and abnormally high caseload of acutely malnourished children.

Concern Worldwide will apply its comprehensive standards on accountability to various stakeholders engaged in this project, including beneficiaries. In 2016, Concern has revised its Community Response Mechanism (CRM) guidelines in consultation with community members. The revised guidelines were reflected in advancing community response via distribution of complaints box across programme targeted areas and complaints forms. This strategy assists Concern to improve its programming by maximizing community engagement and empowering them to make collective decisions and actions concerning their communities and the services provided.

OPS codes: Health: SUD-17/H/111205 Nutrition: SUD-17/H/111296