GUINEA Post-Ebola Situation Report
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GUINEA Post-Ebola Situation Report 29 February 2016 A child receiving a polio Vaccine during the campaign in the prefecture of Guéckédou. ©UNICEF 201 6 / Timothy La Rose UNICEF HIGHLIGHTS SITUATION IN NUMBERS • As of 29 February 2016, Guinea reached Day 58 out of the 90 days As of 29 February 2016 of active surveillance, and has been free of Ebola since 29 December 2015. 0 Cases of Ebola (0 confirmed) • During 28-31 January UNICEF and the Ministry of Health implemented a fourth round of vaccination campaign against the Polio virus, reaching 2,722,589 children (104%). 0 Deaths (0 confirmed) • In February, cash transfers were made to 97 parents/caretakers hosting 309 children, among which 134 were girls, in the 0 prefectures of Beyla, Lola and Yomou. The total number of Cases among children 0-17 orphaned children provided with different rounds of cash (confirmed) transfers rose to 6,140 out of 6,220 registered children. 0 • As Education Cluster co-lead with the Ministry of Education Deaths of children and youth (MoE), UNICEF provided technical and financial support to the aged 0-17 (confirmed) ministry to ensure capacity building of 40 cluster focal points in education in emergencies, cluster coordination, disaster risk reduction and information management. The total number of trained focal points rose to 71 education clerks in Guinea. USD 5 million UNICEF funding needs until March 2016 1 Leadership and Coordination • Under the leadership of the National Ebola Coordination Committee and the Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNICEF, along with other UN agencies, is actively involved in the elaboration of a road map for the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM). This exercise will help identify priority actions as well as gaps to be addressed. • Following preliminary findings from a DRR UNDP mission, highlighting challenges and opportunities of Government and partners (including UNICEF) on Disaster Management, a joint mission from UNDP and OCHA regional offices to which UNICEF will participate is expected in Guinea from 8-18 March, in order to assess national capacities through the CADRI approach (The Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative ). Drawing on lessons learned from the Ebola response, key recommendations will help identify priority actions, to strengthen Government capacities in Disaster Risk Reduction. • An external evaluation of UNICEF’s response to the Ebola outbreak is underway. The team of two consultants conducted interviews in Guinea from 7-26 February, interviewing UNICEF staff, communities, partners from civil society and Government. The purpose of the evaluation is to provide an impartial assessment of UNICEF’s response to the Ebola crisis. It is anticipated that this exercise will UNICEF and partner’s actions in any future public health emergencies. • From 10-13 February, UNICEF participated in a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on “Surveillance and Integrated Response to Disease” (Surveillance Intégrée des Maladies et Réponse ), organized by the National Ebola Coordination Committee and Ministry of Health (MoH) with the technical and financial support of WHO. On the last day of the workshop, UNICEF highlighted the importance of taking into account social norms in community-based surveillance and the involvement of communities in monitoring regarding data collection and reporting of health events within the community. WASH • In February, UNICEF supported the Regional Directorate of water and forest of Nzérékoré for the supervision of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) related activities in 95 villages of Beyla and Yomou. • UNICEF and the National Water Point Management Services (SNAPE), acknowledged completion of 20 boreholes, completed in the prefectures of Faranah, Beyla, Siguiri and Kissidougou out of 43 planned. • During the reporting period UNICEF support the construction of 4 blocks of latrines in Labe, 4 have been rehabilitated in Mamou and 3 other blocks in the health centers of Banie, Bowe and the urban commune of Yomou prefecture. • UNICEF and SNAPE in collaboration with partners have realized 53 boreholes in 8 prefectures: 8 in Boke, 6 in Boffa, 4 in Kindia, 15 in Mamou, 6 in Pita, 3 in Labe and 11 in Beyla and Macenta. In addition, 35 boreholes are rehabilitated in Faranah in partnership with SNAPE. Health • From 28-31 January UNICEF and the MoH implemented a fourth round of the vaccination campaign against the polio virus. Targeting 2,611,902 children aged 0 to 59 months throughout the 38 health districts, the campaign reached 2,722,589 children (104%). A fifth round of the polio campaign is planned for early March. • With funding from GAVI, UNICEF and the MoH conducted a countrywide measles vaccination campaign from 17- 23 February, reaching a total of 2,057,731 children between 9 and 59 months out of a total target of 2,350,712 (88%). Data processing is still ongoing and the coverage rate is expected to rise. At least 1,895 2 vaccinations teams and 675 supervisors have been deployed in the country ensuring that all children received the lifesaving injection. • In order to strengthen health systems during phase 3 of the EVD response and to accelerate recovery, UNICEF in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health has installed solar powered equipment in 286 health facilities to enhance cold chains out of a planned total of 461 health facilities. Nutrition • In February, the nutrition and food security cluster explored with professionals of the nutrition products industry the potential for the establishment of local production of Ready to Use therapeutic Food. • Following the results of the SMART survey in 2015 that revealed a nutritional emergency in Siguiri, UNICEF in collaboration with MoH established a Therapeutic Feeding & Educational Centre (TFEC) within the hospital in Siguiri in February 2016 to provide quality nutrition care to severely malnourished children with medical complications. WFP and partners launched the blanket feeding operations that will contribute to overcome high malnutrition rates in Siguiri. • Data analysis of the national SMART survey also highlighted that malnutrition is more critical among children from 6-23 months, and only 4% of children aged 0-23 months have access to adequate complementary food. In order to reduce malnutrition rates among the most vulnerable, UNICEF launched a Micronutrient Powder Program (MNPs) in remote areas of Mali, Dinguiraye, Kissidougou, Faranah and Dabola prefectures on 18 February. Communication for Development (C4D) • UNICEF social mobilizers supported the polio vaccination campaign by informing and sensitizing households through religious and community leaders, radio and television to ensure understanding of communities to avoid rumors. This approach and the positive perception of UNICEF by communities allowed a campaign with less resistance cases to be notified. • UNICEF and the local NGO Association Guinéenne d’Initiatives Locales (AGIL), have established 8 out of 11 rapid response teams (composed of DPS, local NGOs, local authorities and community leaders), in the most vulnerable targeted prefectures. • To support the vaccination against measles, UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of communication and its communication partners, deployed 1,895 social mobilizers providing door to door information to households, while messages are shared by religious leaders as well as rural radios. Child Protection • During the reporting period, UNICEF and child protection partners conducted 567 community dialogue sessions to 8,722 people, including 408 key leaders and 4,260 women on solidarity with Ebola survivors in several prefectures of Guinea. • In February, UNICEF and child protection partners organized 555 educational talks with the participation of 11,079 people, among which 5,336 are women. • For the reporting period, UNICEF partners and sub cluster members organized 5 solidarity campaigns in 4 prefectures of the Forest Guinea region, in order to provide psychological support to 559 orphans including 229 girls and 87 Ebola survivors, among which 32 women. Organized ceremonies gathered a total participants of 3,259 people (1,292 women). 3 • Community volunteers and social workers made follow-up visits to several families who are caring for1,509 Ebola orphaned children, among which 680 girls. • During the period covered by this report, cash transfers were made to 97 parents/caretakers hosting 309 children, among which 134 are girls, in the prefectures of Beyla, Lola and Yomou. The total number of orphaned children provided with different rounds of cash transfers rose to 6,140 out of 6,220 registered children. Education • UNICEF acknowledges ECHO’s support through the Nobel Prize Project. Indeed, those resources allowed UNICEF, collaborating with the Ministry of Education (MoE) through the Education cluster, to continue to conduct trainings on the provision of psychosocial support in the classroom for children in all targeted prefectures of Boffa, Boké, Coyah, Dubréka, Forécariah and Kindia. During the last two months 134 trainers were trained. In total, 5,232 additional teachers, among which 2,265 were women, benefited from the Nobel Prize Project. • In order to strengthen resilience and risks mitigation during the Phase 3 of the EVD response, UNICEF and the MoE continue joint monitoring field missions to ensure continuous and universal implementation of EVD protocols (hand washing and temperature-taking at the entrance), in 12 identified prefectures (Nzérékoré, Lola, Beyla, Kankan, Kouroussa, Dabola, Labé, Kindia, Forécariah,