PHF BULLETIN 05 July – 11 July 2021 IN THE LOOP © Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP IN THIS ISSUE COVID-19 Updates PHF External Representation Update Vishal Case Study PINS – A Story by Action Against Hunger (ACF) Buzz of the Week Upcoming Webinars at PHF Community for Learners - Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Opportunities Publications and Resources Click on the links to go directly to the section 05 July – 11 July - 2021 1 PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP COVID-19 UPDATES Pakistan recorded the highest coronavirus The Provincial Health Department is starting positivity ratio at 4.09% in the last 24 hours Covid-19 vaccination of expatriate Pakistanis th since May 30, which was at 4.05%, according from Monday 12 July as the Coronavirus© ACTED to the National Command and Operations incidence and mortalities continue to dwindle Centre's (NCOC) data. According to a province- in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar. wise breakdown, the total cases reported in Sindh so far are 346,360, Punjab 348,085, in In a meeting on Friday, National Command and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 139,313, in Islamabad Operations Centre's (NCOC) announced that Capital Territory 83,647, in Balochistan people who had not been inoculated would not 27,961, in Gilgit-Baltistan 6,851, and Azad be allowed to travel from Pakistan by air from Jammu and Kashmir 21,067. Aug 1. It also made it mandatory for all adult students to get themselves vaccinated by Aug Minister of Planning Asad Umar said on Friday 31. that there are "clear early signs" of a fourth COVID-19 wave starting in Pakistan due to US top coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci on poor compliance with the standard operating Sunday characterized the Delta strain of COVID- procedures and the spread of the Delta variant. 19 as a "nasty variant". It is very clear that this is a nasty variant. It has a much greater After five more Delta variant cases in capacity of transmitting from person to person," Rawalpindi surfaced on Saturday, the Deputy Fauci said, adding that the COVID vaccines that Commissioner Aamir Aqiq Khan has started are being used in America to fight the contemplating imposing smart lockdowns in coronavirus "are working very well" and do the hotspots. protect against the Delta variant. Pakistan has witnessed a sudden rise in daily cases in recent days. According to the Find more information for government's Covid-19 portal, the number of COVID-19 here daily Covid-19 cases dropped from four digits to three digits on June 25. The daily cases being reported remained close to the 900 mark till June 27 and further fell to 735 on June 28. Then the number of cases gradually started increasing and doubled in just one week. The positivity rate, which stood at less than 2 per cent in June, crossed 3pc after a gap of 20 days. © International Rescue Committee (IRC) 05 July – 11 July - 2021 2 PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP PHF External Representation On Wednesday 7th July 2021, Ex-com members of Pakistan Humanitarian Forum represented PHF membership INGOs working in Pakistan with outstanding contributions to strengthen the humanitarian-development nexus in the country during various humanitarian crises and emergencies. They highlighted how PHF members have made outstanding contributions by adopting inclusive approaches prioritizing the vulnerable communities and marginalized groups in disaster preparedness and response. Furthermore, Ex-com members also mentioned how PHF members provided all out support and assistance to the Government of Pakistan in close collaboration with disaster management authorities at Federal and Provincial Levels, despite restriction on movements associated with the pandemic. 0505 JulyApril – -1118 JulyApril - 2021 3 PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP TRANSFORMING LIVES MEMBERS IN ACTION Vishal Case Study PINS By Action Against Hunger Sakina was weak and did not produce enough milk to fulfil her child’s feeding requirement and initiated complimentary feeding at the age of 3 months. Sakina’s family had also inadequate access to clean drinking water and sanitation and open-defecation was widely practiced in her community including her own family, due to which, Vishal and the entire family was at risk of diarrhoeal infection. Sakeena and her family hail from Bheel “We thank everyone who has helped community Village Ram, District Tando Allahyar. She has four sons and 9 family my son regain his strength and pray members and their main source of livelihood is that he continues to grow and become daily labor. Sakeena and thousands of families a healthy child always”. in Sindh are affected by malnutrition owing to extreme poverty, insufficient food intake, lack of dietary diversification, low purchasing power, Vishal was immediately enrolled at OTP site BHU poor sanitary conditions and hygiene practices. Sultanabad in district Tando Allahyar. On the day of admission, Vishal’s Mid upper arm circumference measurement was 11 cm and his Vishal the youngest child of Sakeena is 12- weight was 6.2kg. He was discharged from the months old. The child was suffering from severe program after eight weeks with Mid upper arm acute malnutrition as identified by the ACF circumference (MUAC) 11.9cm and a weight of trained community health worker, Parvati during 6.9 kg. During treatment, Vishal was provided home visits. In further examining Vishal’s Ready-to-use therapeutic food while Community condition, it was observed that Vishal was health worker advised his mother on deprived of the first milk (colostrum), a nutrient complementary feeding and nutritious diet, post- rich ‘Pre-milk’ that is produced from the pregnancy diets, care during the first 1000 days - from conception to 2 years of age, life-saving mother’s body after the delivery of newborn. vaccinations for infants, balanced diet and Vishal’s Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) counselling on environmental and WASH practices was 11 cm which is way below the threshold for a profound impact on child health outcomes. indicated for acute malnourishment. 05 July – 11 July - 2021 4 PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP TRANSFORMING LIVES MEMBERS IN ACTION Community health workers conducted recurring in partnership with PPHI in Tandoallah Yar, to visits to follow-up with Sakina after her first visit bring the services for the treatment of Severe Acute to the OTP site to gauge the consumption of Malnutrition (SAM) children, closer to communities therapeutic food and nutritional supplements. by making services available at decentralized The treatment at the OTP site reflected a visible treatment points. ACF and PPHI provide free of improvement in Vishal’s health. Within one cost ready-to-use therapeutic foods to month, Vishal went from severe acute malnourished children under the age of 5, malnutrition to moderate acute malnutrition. combined with distribution of micro-nutrient This experience gave Vishal’s mother the powders for infants among mothers whose children confidence in OTP treatment and confided her are identified as moderately malnourished during trust in ACF’s activities. She is now encouraging initial screening and Iron folic acid other mothers in village to visit OTP and screen supplementation for pregnant and lactating their children as well. women. ACF under the Program for Improved Nutrition ACF and its partner PPHI, have set-up operational in Sindh (PINS) project has set-up Outpatient OTP care sites for communities in seven other Therapeutic feeding Program (OTP) sites jointly districts of Sindh as well including (Matiari, Tando in partnership with PPHI in Tandoallah Yar, to muhammad khan, Thatta, Sujawal, Larkana, Qambar bring the services for the treatment of Severe Shehdadkot, Shikarpur. These decentralised OTP Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children, closer to care sites provide free of cost services and communities by making services available at treatment, under the supervision of trained medical decentralized treatment points. ACF under the specialists, for malnourished young children. Program for Improved Nutrition in Sindh (PINS) project has set-up Outpatient Therapeutic feeding Program (OTP) sites jointly in 05 July – 11 July - 2021 4 PHF WEEKLY BULLETIN IN THE LOOP German Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck has BUZZ OF THE WEEK said cooperation will be extended for mitigating climate change impact in Gilgit- Baltistan. He said the region has vast opportunities in tourism, minerals and power Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for sectors. Read more Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema has The European Union has announced renewed said that the program “Agriculture support for those most in need in Iran and Transformation Plan” as envisaged by the Pakistan with 22 million euros in humanitarian Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan is in aid. Of the 22 million euros, 7m euros will go fact a program of economic and social to humanitarian organisations in Pakistan, emancipation of the farmers. The goal of focusing on the most vulnerable local this program is self-sufficiency in food and populations, Afghans, as well as host eradication of poverty. He said that the communities. Read more Federal government would give loans to youth for food processing to cater food Pakistan calls for building global community for social protection. Sania Nishtar, special needs of the country. Read more assistant to the prime minister on social Parliamentarians pledge to work together protection and poverty alleviation, has told a for improved legislative framework. The United Nations meeting that efforts must be workshop on “Ground