Phase II: Strengthened NCD response in protracted humanitarian crises

Objectives

To strengthen the integration of non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and care in the humanitarian health response for improved service delivery and refugee inclusion into national health systems in Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda; and, to further institutionalise NCD care and prevention into the UNHCR’s global approach.

Approach

This project builds on Phase 1 (WDF21-1834) which covered Tanzania, Burundi and Sudan. In Phase 2, Rwanda will be included due to population movement between Rwanda/Burundi. Phase 2 will support the further institutionalisation of UNHCR’s response to NCDs through a series of activities at country level in three country operations (Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda), and at UNHCR Headquarters level.

The overall goal is to strengthen NCD prevention and control across the three country operations through capacity building of UNHCR and its country level implementing partners with focus on training, awareness, screening and provision of care, emphasising that services to be supported will also support host country population and communities as these have access to UNHCR services although to a different extend in the targeted countries.

At UNHCR HQ level, existing NCD guidelines and training material will be further developed, refined and disseminated, and the current UNHCR health information system (‘Integrated Refugee Health Information System’) will be further strengthened in terms of NCD data collection and analysis.

Phase 2 is designed with two main outcomes. Key activities include:

• Outcome 1: Consolidation the proven approaches and modalities undertaken in Phase 1, through capacity strengthening at service-delivery level in the three targeted countries (i.e., awareness raising and health education, training of healthcare professionals and community health workers, capacity building of health care facilities, specialised camp consultation visits).

• Outcome 2: Focus on continuity of care within on national health systems, and advocate for refugee inclusion at country level (i.e. national accreditation of health facilities in the refugee-hosting areas); provide support to NCD data systems enhancement, cross border collaboration, advancement of service integration and refugee inclusion into national health systems.

Global activities anchored with the Public Health Section at UNHCR HQ will focus on supporting UNHCR’s institutional and global efforts to expand and sustain integration of NCDs into health programming across UNHCR operations, planning and budgeting. WDF will support UNHCR’s efforts as convener of the ‘inter-agency working group on NCDs in humanitarian settings’ as part of the global call on all UN agencies to advance the NCD agenda, including integration with the humanitarian response.

Expected results

• 1,350,000 people reached with awareness and sensitisation.
• 350,000 non-communicable disease consultations (estimated: Tanzania 125,000; Burundi 150,000; Rwanda 75,000).
• 439 health care providers trained and 2,550 community health workers trained on non-communicable diseases and mental health.
• 33 health facilities strengthened (3 in Tanzania, 22 in Burundi, and 8 in Rwanda); 22 of the 33 are camp health facilities; 73 specialist visits to camp health facilities.
• 38 country-level advocacy meetings with a focus on promoting long-term inclusion of refugees into national health systems.