Strengthening the Provision of Essential Primary and Reproductive Healthcare services , including epidemic surveillance and response. The IRC will strengthen the provision of primary and Sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) services for internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities across Adamawa and Yobe States. Additionally, the IRC will respond to outbreaks across all three BAY states (Borno Adamawa and Yobe). 

The delivery of integrated comprehensive primary and reproductive health services will target all individuals, however there will be a focus on children under-five, adolescent girls, women of child bearing age, pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) and persons with disabilities. 

In Yobe state the IRC will provide health systems support to three existing  healthcare facilities, run by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA), to strengthen the provision of primary and reproductive healthcare services. Two facilities are in Gulani LGA and one is in Damturu LGA.

In Adamawa state the IRC will provide health systems support to strengthen the provision of the full package of SRH services at two government primary healthcare cetres (PHCs) in Michika LGA. This will be done in collaboration with the SPHCDA. 

The IRC will ensure that the provision of primary health care services includes both preventative and curative services, with a focus on integrated management of childhood illnesses for children under 5, provision of routine immunization services, prevention and treatment of communicable illnesses and the treatment of non-communicable diseases. Sexual and Reproductive healthcare services provision will be strengthened to provide quality ante-natal, post-natal, syndromic management of sexually transmitted illness, family planning services, basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal and newborn care including safe deliveries, clinical care of sexual assault survivors and post-abortion care.

The Health systems support provided at all health facilities will include capacity building of healthcare workers through mentorship and on-job-coaching, supportive supervision through the use of systemic quality assurance tools, and the distribution of essential medicines.  

The IRC will strengthen the referral pathways and mechanisms across all intervention locations, through the establishment of ambulance services, payment of medical bills and feeding of admitted patients with one care giver. 

The IRC will adapt its ongoing provision of essential primary and reproductive healthcare services, in light of the covid-19 pandemic by strengthening infection, control and prevention measures through the distribution of disinfectants and cleaning supplies. The triage process will be modified at all supported health facilities through the use of a covid-19 specific screening tool thereby allowing for effective screening of individuals who gain entry to IRC supported health facilities with source control of identified cases of suspected COVID-19 cases for onward referral to isolation/ treatment centers.

The IRC will also strengthen community based surveillance through the use of trained community health workers who will carry out morbidity and mortality surveillance tracking and report notifiable diseases. In addition, through ongoing continuous monitoring and analysis of disease trends, endemic diseases such as malaria, acute watery diarrhea/cholera and measles will be monitored. In situations of increased morbidities or even declared outbreaks the IRC will adapt its services to be responsive to the outbreak needs.
As the rainy season approaches the risk of a cholera outbreak is anticipated. To respond to the possible cholera outbreak, the IRC plans to set up ORPs for case management and carry out risk communication and community engagement activities through the development and dissemination of information, education and communication materials, and provision of community health education on prevention of cholera.