The health situation in Hobyo remains fragile with women and children being most vulnerable. The key issues for women and children remain access to prevention and treatment interventions in the absence of a fully functional health system.
SAF UK has been implementing nutrition (OTP, TSFP, MCHN and BSFP) and health projects in north Hobyo for the past 2 years, but only covering Afbarwaqo, Dhinodha and its surrounding villages. We are happy to report on the huge impact we have had in these communities so far.
Women and children urgently need integrated services targeting prevention and treatment accessible in both towns and rural areas. Gender issues that lock out significant others increasing negative social pressure on women not to adapt behaviors beneficial to health, should be addressed for realization of positive health outcomes.
Evelyn Adhiambo- Head of Programs-SAF-UK International
We are happy to continue serving in Hobyo having secured SHF March 2019 standard allocation for both Health and Nutrition Projects. The projects will cover Mudug Region Hobyo District in Somalia. Nutrition project allocation goes until November 2020 whereas Health will be ending in May 2020.
Health Project Title: Provision of Emergency Primary healthcare services to marginalized and host communities in Hobyo,Mudug region,South Central Somalia
Project Code- SOM-19/3485/SA1/H/INGO/12547
Although there has been progress noted in health service provision and policy development in Somalia, and a lot achieved by the previous SAF UK (UNICEF)project in these areas, a lot still needs to be done to actualize improvement in health. Its important to note that disparities in health outcomes among Somali children and women still exist. These are based on: their exposure to violence and insecurity, access, gender and ethnic groupings, and the stability of communities/clan structure. Addressing these inequities, remains a priority (UNICEF,2018). Hobyo is among vulnerable districts with factors mentioned above present.
Therefore the SHF funded project will be a scale up of treatment of MAM and increase access to Emergency lifesaving integrated primary health care services (facility and mobile) through 3 additional fixed sites and 4 mobile sites to cover hard to reach areas. These will cover Targeted supplementary feeding programs (TSFP), Maternal and Child Health Nutrition (MCHN) and Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programs (BSFP).
Health project will include activities such as: Emergency Reproductive Health Services, Gender based violence (GBV) recovery services including clinical management of rape and other forms of gender based violence, Psycho social first aid and referral in to health centres/ units, Immunization services, Community engagement through community conversations and formation of health boards, health education, establishment of more sentinel sites and establishment of referral pathways in remote rural areas. Supplementary feeding interventions (TSFP, MCHN and BSFP) shall be integrated with the health project in all the proposed sites for cost effectiveness and project sustainability.
Nutrition Project Title: Integrated life saving nutrition project aimed at reducing morbidity and related mortality,with a strong community component to vulnerable communities in Hobyo,Mudug region,South Central Somalia
Project Code- SOM-19/3485/SA1/Nut/INGO/12478
Nutrition Interventions will also seek to provide primary, secondary and tertiary prevention for acute malnutrition, build resilience to cushion against shocks in future and provide a platform to discuss and initiate durable solutions in conjunction with other clusters and relevant bodies thus preventing shocks and ensuring protection.
Nutrition project will target 10,442 direct beneficiaries and 22165 in direct beneficiaries while Health will target 13157 direct beneficiaries and 6005 indirect beneficiaries.
