Provision of life saving assistance to children under five years of age suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Borno and Yobe state, North east Nigeria Plan International Nigeria will implement a 12-month project focusing on improving access and coverage of quality lifesaving nutrition services integrated with psychosocial support in Borno and Yobe states. The project will also strengthen the capacity of government healthcare providers in Stabilization Centers (SC) ensuring the continuity and sustainability of these vital services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will treat Complicated SAM cases in SCs with formula milk (F100 &amp; F75), daily assess and follow up on the medical condition of the children and take their anthropometric measurement. The project will further provide stimulation, psychosocial support and counselling services, and promote Optimal IYCF-E (Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies) practices.  We will support nutrition partners implementing in the community through active case finding/screening, identifying SAM with medical complication at Out Patient therapeutic Program (OTP) centres &amp; refer treated Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) cases from SC to OTP and vis-versa in Kaga, Konduga, Mafa, Hawul, and Chibok Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno state and Bade LGA of Yobe state. The proposed project will reach a total of 2501 children (1276 girls &amp;1225 boys) under five-years of age in 6 (six) decentralized SCs in Borno and Yobe state. The proposed activities will strengthen the management of acute malnutrition in Borno and Yobe state by providing inpatient management of SAM in hospitals (SC sites) and also will establish new SC and strengthening the existing SC to provide service for IDP/host communities. In the course of its implementation, the project shall integrate gender responsive messaging in its community engagement processes, share information, encourage discussions and address gender issues that impact optimal IYCF. Given that prevailing gender roles often discourage men from participating in traditionally perceived care roles, the project shall implement a male engagement strategy that will improve male participation and support in positive IYCF practices at household and community levels. In addition, the project will raise awareness on COVID-19 mode of transmission and gender responsive and inclusive prevention strategies. The project will also provide technical and logistical support and strengthen the supportive supervision and monitoring system in the LGAs. The project will focus on supporting the most vulnerable population groups, specifically children under five years of age, caretakers of SAM children, caretakers of SAM children who are living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Plan International will integrate management of complicated SAM cases into existing health services in each general hospital and in the LGA health system using State Primary Health Care and Development Agency (SPHCDA) and hospital staff in all targeted LGAs.
At project start-up, Plan International Nigeria will prioritize identifying Complicated SAM cases to facilitate access to life-saving services for children under five years of age and to enable management of these SAM cases in collaboration with SPHCDA and hospital board Management staff. We will strengthen the capacity of the government service providers as well as parents, guardians and care takers to prevent malnutrition and respond to the treatment of complicated SAM cases and we will work closely with government and partners working in each LGA. 
The project will strengthen accountability to beneficiaries through the establishment and strengthening of an inclusive and appropriate community and facility -based complaints and feedback mechanism that will allow women, girls, men, and boys to safely report concerns of the emergency nutrition response in their respective Hospital. The project also will ensure gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation is undertaken by disaggregating all data by sex, age, disability and creating complimentary qualitative and quantitative indicators.