PROJECT INTRODUCTION
With funding support from the German Federal Foreign Office(GFFO), CARE implements a 21 months multisectoral live-saving project: sexual reproductive maternal health, WASH and protection services to crisis affected population in Iraq: Anbar governorate (Districts of Fallujah and Khalidiya), Ninewa governorate (West Mosul) and Duhok governorate (Mamrashan IDP camp) with 21,386 direct beneficiaries aiming at:1) Quality essential SRMH services will be provided in areas of origin (Fallujah, Khalidiya and West Mosul) through strengthened health facilities, enhanced awareness and mobilization of communities and reinforced referral mechanisms. 2) WASH needs of crisis affected IDPs in Mamrashan camp will be met through care and maintenance of WASH facilities, water quality tests, hygiene promotion, solid waste management and establishment of gender balanced WASH committees. 3) Protection response services including, psycho-social support (PSS), dignity kit support will be provided to vulnerable women, girls, men and boys in Fallujah, Khalidiya, West Mosul and Mamrashan IDP camp.
At the health facility level, CARE supports (I) provision of essential medical supplies and commodities where gaps are identified including for nutritional supplements for pregnant women and newborns as well as contraceptives, lab support (essential lab equipment, consumables, kits and reagents) to targeted PHCCs and provision of medical equipment, consumables, and office furniture to Al Shuhada and Saleh Shabkoon PHCCs (II) based on training needs assessments, CARE will support competency-based trainings and supervision of PHCC staff (particularly female staff) on SRMH components (for example, training on insertion and removal of IUDs based on previous gaps identified). These will be complemented by approaches to address provider attitudes to ensure clientcentered, rights-based services are offered. (III) CARE will use the WHO, MOH and cluster approved IEC materials for prevention of COVID-19. The IEC materials will be adapted to the local context to ensure appropriateness and effectiveness of the messaging (e.g. local dialect, social media campaigns etc.).
Provision of COVID-19 pandemic related trainings to health care professionals in the targeted PHCCs. CARE will organize essential trainings for the doctors and midwives and nurses working in the PHCCs and the maternity unit. The training will include essential concepts on how to deal with suspected COVID-19 cases and proper referral pathways. In addition, comprehensive training will be delivered to 36 Health staff (6 male doctors, 6 female doctors, 8 midwives, 6 male and female laboratory technicians plus 10 male and females nurses) on infection prevention control.
CARE-mentored community health workers are trained to raise awareness on key SRH topics including healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, modern method contraception; birth preparedness and recognizing danger signs in pregnancy; encouraging delivery at health centers with skilled birth attendants; early and exclusive breastfeeding; improved infant feeding practices; child-adequate nutrition; hygiene; STIs; intimate partner violence; and early marriage. Tailored sessions will also be delivered to pregnant adolescents and first-time mothers. In addition, they will seek to identify and work with communities to overcome gender and social norms that service as barriers to women and girls’ access to lifesaving SRMH services.
CARE will support the Al Khalidiya district referral hub through capacity building of the Directorate of Health (DoH) staff, along with provision of supplies and equipment (such as generator and office supplies) to ensure timely access to life-saving referral services such as emergency obstetric and newborn care, particularly for the maternity hospital in Fallujah.
All affected population by crisis who are the most vulnerable are eligible to be beneficiaries of CARE regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion and political affiliation addressed in humanitarian principles, particularly children and newborns, pregnant and lactating women, elderly, people with disabilities and those with chronic illness are targeted groups during the project implementation. IDPs (36%), Host Communities and returnees (64%). CARE adheres to the Humanitarian principles in the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) including, Humanity, Impartiality, Independence and Neutrality. Overall, beneficiaries are identified on the basis of need.
For WASH, entire Mamrashan camp population are targeted, there is no specific criteria for WASH interventions.
For health and protection, conflict affected vulnerable returnees, host communities and IDPs, particularly children and newborns, pregnant and lactating women, elderly, people with disabilities and those with chronic illness are targeted.