Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The project aims to strengthen public health facilities’ preparedness and response to contain the incidence and spread of COVID-19 and other pandemics to reduce morbidity and mortality rates, to strengthen health and social systems to foster equitable access to health and hygiene services for vulnerable groups, especially women and girls, and to increase capacity of local social services and infrastructures to address specific needs of vulnerable groups.

Expected results

1.1) Primary Health Care staff and Community Health Workers trained in COVID-19 disease and other epidemics;

1.2) Provincial and District hospitals, and Primary Health Care facilities enhanced and equipped with preventive and control materials;

1.3) Critical Care Surge Capacity Management of Provincial, District and Community level health staff developed;

2.1) Community platform for demand creation, social accountability, service delivery, and social inclusion strengthened;

2.2) Management and Technical capacity for evidence-based analysis, prioritisation, planning, monitoring, tracking and reporting for health staff developed;

2.3) Formative research on health system/facility resilience and agility and barrier analysis to vaccination conducted;

2.4) Context-specific social behaviour change intervention strategies developed, implemented, and monitored;

3.1) Local social services and infrastructure established, strengthened and equipped to address the needs of vulnerable groups;

3.2) Vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19 pandemic supported through Social protection Multipurpose Cash Transfer interventions.

Target group / Beneficiaries

4,500 total direct beneficiaries, including: 120 health facilities, 1,000 vulnerable beneficiaries for Social Protection cash Transfer, 2,000 community Volunteers, 1,000 health professionals. 500 community members (women groups, girls, community leaders/cash and voucher assistance groups);

Location: Nampula Province - Nampula city, Angoche, Nacala port, Monapo, Meconta, Maputo city, Erati, Ribane, Moma and Malema.

Activities

Capacity building of a pool of Provincial and District Health staff and volunteers for COVID-19 response, provision of the necessary materials and equipment for the implementation of infection control measures; establish a Critical Care Surge Resource Team for rapid deployment during emergencies; identify existing community platforms and establish and train community Social Accountability groups; build the capacity of frontline health staff for data collection, analysis and utilisation; conduct formative research during the project implementation to generate knowledge for dissemination; identify and implement evidence-based Social and Behavior Change strategies and methodologies in relation to behaviours relevant to COVID-19 and other health epidemics; identification and capacity building of existing local social services and infrastructure to address the needs of vulnerable groups; address the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable groups through social protection multipurpose Cash Transfer.

Context

Northern Mozambique is experiencing a humanitarian crisis caused by protracted conflict and exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the effects of those crises. Key challenges in the health care delivery system in Nampula Province include inadequate human resources, low budget allocation, inadequate availability of essential medicines, and leadership and management challenges. This demonstrates the vulnerabilities of the Mozambican health system in the event of an outbreak of future health crises. Resolving inequitable access to health care services is a recognized priority of the Mozambican government as evidenced by the most recent recommendations from Mozambique’s national health institute INS, which emphasized a focus on increasing the capacity of primary healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas. The project will therefore aim at increasing the capacity of health facilities to respond to crises and support vulnerable groups particularly affected by the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ADC-co-financing rate: 98 percent