Sektorövergripande COVID-19 respons UNICEF Multisectoral response to COVID-19 UNICEF UNICEF har ansökt till Sida om stöd till Sektorövergripande COVID-19 respons: Uppbyggnad av resilient och integrerad grundläggande service för utsatta grupper i Cox's Bazar och Gazipur i Bangladesh.

I samarbete med  Bangladesh regering samt internationella och nationella civilsamhällsorganisationer vill UNICEF bidra till att minska de negativa effekterna av COVID-19 för fattiga och utsatta barn och kvinnor i två distrikt i Bangladesh. Detta projekt kompletterar Bangladesh regerings åtagande att nå livsmedelssäkerhet och förbättrad nutrition, säkerställa och främja god hälsa  i alla åldrar och eliminera olika former av våld mot kvinnor och tonårsflickor genom att stärka kapacitet.

Den föreslagna insatsen är anpassad till Bangladeshs beredskaps- och responsplan (BPRP) för hälsorespons på COVID-19 och omfattar insatser inom nutrition, vatten och sanitet och skydd inklusive könsbaserat våld  för att minimera effekterna av pandemin bland utsatta barn och kvinnor. Insatsen har utvecklats i samråd med Bangladeshs regering och  partners inom flera sektorer.

Det föreslagna ettåriga projektet kommer att bidra till följande resultat genom att på nationell nivå ta itu med  frågor kring inriktning och kvalitet på socialt skydd samt i distrikten  Gazipur och Cox's Bazar med fokus på att stärka system och tillgång till socialt skydd och social service för kvinnor och barn i fattiga och utsatta områden genom:

I. Förbättrad kapacitet på service och personal för att respondera på COVID-19-utbrottet och tillhandahålla service inom hälsa, nutrition, barnskydd, könsbaserat våld, vatten, hygien, avfallshantering och sanitet.

II. Arbeta för att utvidga täckningen och stärka effektiviteten i det nationella sociala skyddssystemet och säkerställa ett snabbt frisläppande, återförening och återintegrering av barn vid ungdomsfängelser och andra institutioner.

III. Integrerat stöd till  värdsamhällen och Rohingya-flyktingar som genomgår behandling för COVID-19 vid 200-bädds SARI ITC i Teknaf, Cox's Bazar-distrikt.

Insatsbudgeten är 30 000 000 SEK och kommer att finansieras av Sida. UNICEF has applied to Sida for support to Multisectoral response to Covid 19: Building Resilient and Integrated Essential Services for Underserved Communities in Cox’s Bazar and Gazipur Districts, Bangladesh.

In partnership with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) International and National Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations UNICEF proposes to contribute to the reduction of the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on poor and vulnerable children and women in two districts of Bangladesh. This project complements GoB’s commitment to achieve food security and improved nutrition, ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing at all ages and elimination of different forms of violence to women and adolescent girls, by improving their human capabilities.

The Integrated Package of Services proposed are aligned with the Bangladesh Preparedness and Response Plan (BPRP) for COVID-19  health response and address the critical lifesaving interventions in nutrition, WASH,  and protection including GBV and are essential to minimize the impact of the pandemic among vulnerable children and women. The proposal is developed in consultation with Government of Bangladesh and multisectoral partners.

The proposed one-year project will contribute to the following outcomes by addressing at the national level key issues of targeting and quality of social protection and in the districts of Gazipur and Cox's Bazar focused on strengthening systems and access to social protection and social services for women and children in poor and vulnerable communities by:

I. Enhanced capacity of essential services and personnel to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks and provide quality health, nutrition, child protection, GBV, water, hygiene, waste management and sanitation services 

II. Advocate to expand the coverage and strengthen effectiveness of national social protection system and ensure the urgent release, reunification, and reintegration of children in juvenile detention facilities and other institutions. 

III. Integrated support to the Bangladeshi host communities and Rohingya refugees undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the 200 bed SARI ITC in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar District.

The intervention budget is 30 000 000 SEK and will be financed by Sida. The proposed one-year extension will contribute to the following outcomes by addressing at national level key issues and two districts by end of July 2022 through the following actions:
The costed extension proposal has three objectives like the original proposal. Although Objective 1 and 3 remains the same but the objective 2 is different than the previous proposal considering the ground reality.
1. Enhanced capacity of essential services and personnel to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks and provide quality health and adolescent services to underserved women, children and vulnerable communities in 16 districts.
2. Contribute to the reduction of community transmission by empowering people with updated and consistent information and engaging them in taking informed decisions to prevent COVID-19.
3. Integrated support to the Bangladeshi host communities and Rohingya refugees undergoing treatment for respiratory illnesses and COVID-19 at the 200 bed SARI ITC in Teknaf, CxB District.
The proposed interventions will be implemented under the leadership of GoB within the existing structures including those at institutional and community levels. Systems strengthening, preparedness, and addressing key underlying issues will support the Government's efforts to improve the effectiveness of the national social security system and to suppress COVID-19 in the 16 districts. In CxB for instance, it is projected that at least 1,000 beds will be needed for an isolation and treatment centre for the expected COVID-19 cases both for Rohingya refugees and the host communities.
Evidence will be developed for policy engagement and policy influencing on social protection, public health and basic service delivery both in urban and rural Bangladesh. The interventions will also reduce protection risks for children and women including physical violence, trafficking, early marriages, and child labour which are prevalent in the two districts.
Lastly, the proposed budget of USD 3,500,000 will support the stipulated interventions, strengthening systems and communities, addressing underlying fragilities towards a more resilient approach to the lower transmission of COVID-19 and better respond to future public health challenges in Bangladesh.