HEALTH, NUTRITION & CHILD PROTECTION INTEGRATED FLOOD RESPONSE- SINDH

Background:  The humanitarian situation in Pakistan has deteriorated over the past months due to unprecedented flooding, impacting an already highly vulnerable population. Compounded by political uncertainty, economic decline, the legacy of COVID-19, and a protracted nutrition emergency, with high rates of global acute malnutrition (on a global scale), children have been pushed to the edge. The UN launched the revised Pakistan Floods Response Plan, supported by the findings of the Multi-Sector Rapid needs assessment, adjusted targets and budgets to better align with overall needs.

Shifa Foundation is implementing a project “Integrated Flood Response in affected Districts of Sindh i.e Umerkot, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Naushero Feroz & Shaheed Benazirabad” with the support of UNICEF. Shifa Foundation’s response includes establish Medical Health & Nutrition Teams in flood-affected areas, support to static health and nutrition sites, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.

Key activities to be performed:

• Capacity building of frontline workers on IMNCI, ENC, ONC,CAMAM
• Identification of severe acute malnutrition cases as per MUAC screening and treatment with RUFT – Ready To Use Therapeutic Food.
• Provision of Micronutrient powder for children under 5
• Awareness sessions/ refreshers for community-based volunteers and LHWs to be trained on Infant Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
• Renovate /refurbish 16 static health facilities by repair of partially damaged health facilities with additional human resource support.
• Distribution of clean delivery kits/new-born kits and provision vitamin A supplement, ORS, zinc and deworming medicines in outreach sites.
• Routine sex and gender disaggregated data will be collected from mobile and static sites at the district level, compiled, cleaned, analyzed and will be shared on daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Deliverables:

• Increased access and utilization of primary health care services for flood affected Districts of Sindh
• Increased access to life-saving treatment services for acutely malnourished children, while protecting, promoting, and supporting appropriate IYCF practices that optimize nutrition survival outcomes in emergencies in Sanghar, Umerkot, Naushero Feroz and Shaheed Benazirabad.
• Vulnerable girls and boys, including adolescents, and women have access to effective preventive and response interventions that address the negative effects of the floods on rights to child protection and GBV.
• Establish Medical health and Nutrition teams in flood affected areas.
• Support to the static health and nutrition sites
• Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.