COVID 19
HBCC (Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition) Project: Inclusive Communities – Changing behaviors to respond to COVID-19
The “Promoting safer hygiene practices for women and girls to remain safe and live better lives project has been implemented between the 23rd of July 2020 and the 31st of August 2021 through CARE International in Jordan and funded by Unilever-UKAID HBCC (Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition). The project’s overall objective was to support the most vulnerable women and girls in conflict communities, refugee, asylum and host populations within the Syrian crisis region to improve their key hygiene behaviours and be better equipped to protect themselves from COVID-19 transmission through mass awareness, interpersonal communication and digital media communication.
CARE Jordan implemented a package of multiple interventions which includes mass media, digital communication, and in some cases targeted face-to-face interactions complemented by the provision of hygiene and dignity kits to promote key hygiene behaviours of the targeted beneficiaries. The mass media and digital campaign, which targeted community members who live in Amman, Zarqa/Azraq town, Irbid, Mafraq, and Azraq Refugee Camp, but also reached beyond these areas in particular with the mass media intervention; focused on a variety of messages in line with the national/local Health Service approved guidelines as well as some of the Unilever Global assets like the PASSWORD Campaigns, Snake and Ladder game, and Mobile Doctorni. Messages covered issues of prevention, protection, safety, security and where to seek early support when showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Read More...
CARE Jordan implemented a package of multiple interventions which includes mass media, digital communication, and in some cases targeted face-to-face interactions complemented by the provision of hygiene and dignity kits to promote key hygiene behaviours of the targeted beneficiaries. The mass media and digital campaign, which targeted community members who live in Amman, Zarqa/Azraq town, Irbid, Mafraq, and Azraq Refugee Camp, but also reached beyond these areas in particular with the mass media intervention; focused on a variety of messages in line with the national/local Health Service approved guidelines as well as some of the Unilever Global assets like the PASSWORD Campaigns, Snake and Ladder game, and Mobile Doctorni. Messages covered issues of prevention, protection, safety, security and where to seek early support when showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Read More...
The Impact of COVID-19 on Gender Equality and Food Security in the Arab region with a focus on the Sudan and Iraq
This rapid gender analysis (RGA) explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality and food security in the Arab region. It is a joint collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE International (CARE). This collaboration recognizes the need to expand the evidence base on gender-differentiated impacts of crises for informed recovery and response planning, while highlighting the imperative of collecting sex- and age-disaggregated data (SADD) more consistently.
This initiative was an innovative pilot project between FAO, WFP and CARE. The aim of the collaboration was to foster multilevel partnerships and strengthen gender analysis for the food security sector in crisis contexts. The initiative brought together technical experts in food security, nutrition and livelihoods across the agencies involved, as well as gender specialists to explore, develop and test tools, methods and approaches. The regional focus of the study identified key themes, challenges and norms across multiple contexts in the Arab region, while highlighting specific findings for Iraq and the Sudan. While sources have varying regional definitions for the Arab region, for the purpose of this review, the denomination includes the countries under the FAO Near East and North Africa region, the WFP Middle East and North Africa region, and the CARi Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The findings and successes of this initiative are intended to strengthen the relationship between gender and food security actors
regionally, and in particular within Iraq and the Sudan, while increasing the availability and transparency of gender analysis in the sphere of food security. Read More...
This initiative was an innovative pilot project between FAO, WFP and CARE. The aim of the collaboration was to foster multilevel partnerships and strengthen gender analysis for the food security sector in crisis contexts. The initiative brought together technical experts in food security, nutrition and livelihoods across the agencies involved, as well as gender specialists to explore, develop and test tools, methods and approaches. The regional focus of the study identified key themes, challenges and norms across multiple contexts in the Arab region, while highlighting specific findings for Iraq and the Sudan. While sources have varying regional definitions for the Arab region, for the purpose of this review, the denomination includes the countries under the FAO Near East and North Africa region, the WFP Middle East and North Africa region, and the CARi Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The findings and successes of this initiative are intended to strengthen the relationship between gender and food security actors
regionally, and in particular within Iraq and the Sudan, while increasing the availability and transparency of gender analysis in the sphere of food security. Read More...
Integrated Wash, Health And Protection Response To Covid-19 In West And East Hararghe Zones Of Oromia Region, Ethiopia
The report presented findings of end-line survey findings compared with baseline data for the same project. East and West Hararghe zones are located within the Oromia region, one of the largest and most populated regions of Ethiopia. Like many parts of Oromia and the country, over 80% of the people in East and West Hararghe rely on agricultural livelihoods. The main activities of the project are hygiene promotion, provision of hygiene supplies, hand washing facilities installation at health centers, and integrating protection actions. The project was implemented in Kersa and Babile Woredas of East Hararghe Zone and Meiso and Gumbibordode Woredas of West Hararghe Zone.
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CARE Endline Evaluation Report: Restoration of water infrastructure and prevention against COVID19
With funding support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Czech Republic (MoFA Czech), CARE Iraq implemented a six–month project, starting from May 1 to October 31, 2021, and aimed to provide an uninterrupted supply of potable water to vulnerable communities for drinking, personal hygiene, and other domestic use through rehabilitation of non-functional parts of the water treatment plant and restoration of water the networks in two neighborhoods (Nabi Sheet and Galawat) of West Mosul. It further aimed to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities to COVID-19 by providing hygiene kits and increased risk and safety awareness, improving hygiene behavior, and environmental sanitation services. The project is implemented in West Mosul, Galawat, and Nabi Sheet neighborhoods, targeting IDPs, host communities, and returnees. Read More...
END LINE REVIEW FOR HBCC PROJECT: INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES: CHANGING BEHAVIORS TO RESPOND TO COVID-19
The end-line survey was commissioned by CARE International in Somalia to assess the overall change outcomes of the COVID-19 Hygiene Behavior Change Campaign as per the project’s theory of change and to identify key lessons learned for the campaign that could inform future strategies. The project was implemented through an extensive mass media, digital and interpersonal hygiene promotion information, and messaging campaign in communities and institutions supported by the provision of water supply and handwashing kits and infrastructure as well as provision of relevant Personal Protective Equipment-PPE, as per the context. Read More...
Looking at the Chivi WASH Project 4 Years Later
Four years after the close of the Chivi WASH Project in 2017 in Chivi North, CARE conducted an “ex-post” evaluation in March 2021 to see which aspects of the project, were sustained. The evaluation focused on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); specifically: open defecation status, latrine coverage, and access to an improved water source. The evaluation also inquired about attitudes towards leadership roles of women and girls, and whether COVID-19 lockdowns affected water and sanitation services. Read More...
Análisis Rápido de Género – ARG / Honduras, 2021. Desafíos para las mujeres y niñas ante una sostenida crisis sanitaria y ambiental.
El 2020, como resultado de los efectos de las crisis sanitaria y ambiental, se caracterizó por evidenciar y profundizar las deficiencias y limitaciones que
enfrenta Honduras en lo relacionado con: las brechas estructurales preexistentes y sus consecuencias en términos de seguridad y desigualdad, especialmente la profundización en la desigualdad de género; las carencias y debilidades de los sistemas de servicios esenciales a nivel sanitario y de protección social; las debilidades del sistema productivo - empresarial y la fragilidad de los procesos económicos del país; y las debilidades existentes en aspectos relacionadas con la infraestructura, las estrategias para la gestión de riesgos y la capacidad de respuesta ante fenómenos naturales.
Esto ha provocado un estancamiento o retroceso en aspectos relacionados con el acceso a medios de vida, a derechos económicos y sociales, y a derechos humanos fundamentales. Sin embargo, se debe subrayar que aunque ambas crisis afectaron directa o indirectamente a toda la población hondureña, su impacto es evidentemente desigual ya que resultó mayormente adverso para los grupos y la población más vulnerable, especialmente las mujeres y niñas. En consecuencia, han empeorado las condiciones y calidad de vida de la población subsistiendo en situación de pobreza o expuesta a alguna condición de riesgo ya sea física, psicológica, social, ambiental, económica o estructural. Esto preocupa en particular si adicionalmente se considera que Honduras está catalogado como uno de los países con mayor desigualdad en el área latinoamericana. El ARG buscó proporcionar recomendaciones prácticas para diseñar estrategias que permitan brindar una respuesta diferenciada a las principales necesidades y brechas humanitarias identificadas, y permitió identificar aquellos factores afectados por ambas crisis y que inciden negativamente en la protección a los derechos humanos fundamentales y en la calidad de vida de los grupos más vulnerables del país. Read More...
enfrenta Honduras en lo relacionado con: las brechas estructurales preexistentes y sus consecuencias en términos de seguridad y desigualdad, especialmente la profundización en la desigualdad de género; las carencias y debilidades de los sistemas de servicios esenciales a nivel sanitario y de protección social; las debilidades del sistema productivo - empresarial y la fragilidad de los procesos económicos del país; y las debilidades existentes en aspectos relacionadas con la infraestructura, las estrategias para la gestión de riesgos y la capacidad de respuesta ante fenómenos naturales.
Esto ha provocado un estancamiento o retroceso en aspectos relacionados con el acceso a medios de vida, a derechos económicos y sociales, y a derechos humanos fundamentales. Sin embargo, se debe subrayar que aunque ambas crisis afectaron directa o indirectamente a toda la población hondureña, su impacto es evidentemente desigual ya que resultó mayormente adverso para los grupos y la población más vulnerable, especialmente las mujeres y niñas. En consecuencia, han empeorado las condiciones y calidad de vida de la población subsistiendo en situación de pobreza o expuesta a alguna condición de riesgo ya sea física, psicológica, social, ambiental, económica o estructural. Esto preocupa en particular si adicionalmente se considera que Honduras está catalogado como uno de los países con mayor desigualdad en el área latinoamericana. El ARG buscó proporcionar recomendaciones prácticas para diseñar estrategias que permitan brindar una respuesta diferenciada a las principales necesidades y brechas humanitarias identificadas, y permitió identificar aquellos factores afectados por ambas crisis y que inciden negativamente en la protección a los derechos humanos fundamentales y en la calidad de vida de los grupos más vulnerables del país. Read More...
CONEX Balkan Project Rapid Gender Analysis Report Western Balkan Region – Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia
CONEX is a regional project implemented in six Balkan countries designed to support the marginalized groups of people in the targeted communities that have suffered the most during the Covid-19 crisis, namely the elderly, unemployed women, minorities, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and persons with disabilities to transition from relief to recovery and onwards to development.
The Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) has been conducted to provide essential information about gender issues and concerns that should be addressed and will not only be used to define concrete action points and possible adaptations of project design but also as a learning tool and advocacy platform with national NGO networks and local/national authorities. The RGA objectives are to:
Assess the ways and the extent to which women and other vulnerable groups are affected by social and economic deprivation due to consequences of the COVID-19 crisis;
Explore how the prevailing gender norms and roles relate to the project activities and objectives, in particular with regard to the access to information, ability to access services, employment and effects of gender based violence (GBV) and
Increase the gender analysis and integration related capacities of project staff (gender-sensitization, RGA data collection training).
The RGA was conducted in the period May-October 2021 and consisted of three main segments facilitated by the CARE team: 1. Capacity building of partners on gender and how to conduct the RGA; 2. Coordination of data collection, analysis, and validation 3. RGA report writing.
In total, 28 implementing partners’ staff members from nine organizations in 21 locations in six target countries organized and facilitated 53 events (focus group discussions - FGDs and key informant interviews -KIIs) during which they directly talked to 195 persons (66% female), 21% ethnic minority (Roma and Ashkali), over 29% persons from rural areas and 11% persons with disabilities – PWD. Read More...
The Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) has been conducted to provide essential information about gender issues and concerns that should be addressed and will not only be used to define concrete action points and possible adaptations of project design but also as a learning tool and advocacy platform with national NGO networks and local/national authorities. The RGA objectives are to:
Assess the ways and the extent to which women and other vulnerable groups are affected by social and economic deprivation due to consequences of the COVID-19 crisis;
Explore how the prevailing gender norms and roles relate to the project activities and objectives, in particular with regard to the access to information, ability to access services, employment and effects of gender based violence (GBV) and
Increase the gender analysis and integration related capacities of project staff (gender-sensitization, RGA data collection training).
The RGA was conducted in the period May-October 2021 and consisted of three main segments facilitated by the CARE team: 1. Capacity building of partners on gender and how to conduct the RGA; 2. Coordination of data collection, analysis, and validation 3. RGA report writing.
In total, 28 implementing partners’ staff members from nine organizations in 21 locations in six target countries organized and facilitated 53 events (focus group discussions - FGDs and key informant interviews -KIIs) during which they directly talked to 195 persons (66% female), 21% ethnic minority (Roma and Ashkali), over 29% persons from rural areas and 11% persons with disabilities – PWD. Read More...
CARE Malawi COVID Vaccine Delivery Situation January 2022
“The vaccines are here but support for delivery is most needed, especially at the last mile.” – District Health Management Team member, Ntcheu
As of January 10, 2022, Malawi had delivered 1.84 million doses of vaccine out of the 3.12 million doses it has received so far.1 Many doses in country have rapidly approaching expiration dates, and if they do not get to people fast, they risk expiring on the shelves. To make sure the 1.26 million doses left go to the people who need them most, we must invest more in communication, engagement, and delivery. The $37M granted by the World Bank over the past year is sufficient for covering only 8% of Malawi’s total population. What is more, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads worldwide, it is even more critical that more people are vaccinated now. We cannot assume that the Government of Malawi and its current health system can do it alone.
The government and other health actors in Malawi are working tirelessly to vaccinate people, while facing multiple health crises. The health system is building on a base of committed (if overstretched) health workers, an openness to community feedback, and a long expertise of delivering The government is coordinating closely with many actors to reduce gender gaps, get vaccines to the last mile, and keep existing health services open. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Health is under-resourced, and operating in a global system where the vaccine supply that arrives may be close to expiring. For example, doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine had to be destroyed in the spring, after arriving in Malawi with only two and a half weeks left before their expiration date.
More investment is needed. To take just one example, the national government has been able to provide one van per district to support mobile vaccination sites, to get vaccines to the last mile. Mobile vaccinations are the most effective way to serve people who live far away from health centers and do not have access to easy forms of transportation. That means that in Ntcheu, one van is expected to serve a target population of 214,929 people living over 3,424 square kilometers. One van cannot serve those people fast enough to make sure vaccines get where they need to in time, especially when an inconsistent and unpredictable vaccine supply could have doses expiring at any time. Read More...
As of January 10, 2022, Malawi had delivered 1.84 million doses of vaccine out of the 3.12 million doses it has received so far.1 Many doses in country have rapidly approaching expiration dates, and if they do not get to people fast, they risk expiring on the shelves. To make sure the 1.26 million doses left go to the people who need them most, we must invest more in communication, engagement, and delivery. The $37M granted by the World Bank over the past year is sufficient for covering only 8% of Malawi’s total population. What is more, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads worldwide, it is even more critical that more people are vaccinated now. We cannot assume that the Government of Malawi and its current health system can do it alone.
The government and other health actors in Malawi are working tirelessly to vaccinate people, while facing multiple health crises. The health system is building on a base of committed (if overstretched) health workers, an openness to community feedback, and a long expertise of delivering The government is coordinating closely with many actors to reduce gender gaps, get vaccines to the last mile, and keep existing health services open. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Health is under-resourced, and operating in a global system where the vaccine supply that arrives may be close to expiring. For example, doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine had to be destroyed in the spring, after arriving in Malawi with only two and a half weeks left before their expiration date.
More investment is needed. To take just one example, the national government has been able to provide one van per district to support mobile vaccination sites, to get vaccines to the last mile. Mobile vaccinations are the most effective way to serve people who live far away from health centers and do not have access to easy forms of transportation. That means that in Ntcheu, one van is expected to serve a target population of 214,929 people living over 3,424 square kilometers. One van cannot serve those people fast enough to make sure vaccines get where they need to in time, especially when an inconsistent and unpredictable vaccine supply could have doses expiring at any time. Read More...
Nepal COVID-19 Vaccine Costing Study
By December 6, 2021, 19.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Nepal, enough for 36% of the population to have gotten at least one dose of vaccine. After a rough road with unpredictable vaccine supply, the government has been able to procure several million vaccine doses. Now delivery at the last mile is the biggest hurdle they face. Nepal’s Minister of Health says, “We are not going have shortages of vaccines anymore, but our main concern and focus now is on getting these vaccines to all corners of the country, including the remote mountain areas.”
Based on national data, and in-depth studies in 2 health districts, CARE estimates that delivery costs from “tarmac to arm” for vaccines in Nepal are $8.35 (1,019 NPR) per dose of vaccine administered, or $18.38 (2,241 NPR) per person fully vaccinated.
This is nearly 5 times more expensive than current global estimate for delivery costs. These costs range from $11 per fully vaccinated person in easier to reach areas, to $33 per dose in remote, difficult to reach areas. Gaps in vaccine coverage are particularly acute for mountainous areas, people with low mobility, and communities far from health centers. Even the lowest-cost estimates for the easiest to reach areas are nearly 3 times higher than global average estimates.
70% of these costs are personnel needs to ensure vaccines reach people at the last mile. This points to a major need to improve investments in vaccine delivery, especially the health care workers who administer vaccines and ensure everyone gets vaccinated.
Read More...
Based on national data, and in-depth studies in 2 health districts, CARE estimates that delivery costs from “tarmac to arm” for vaccines in Nepal are $8.35 (1,019 NPR) per dose of vaccine administered, or $18.38 (2,241 NPR) per person fully vaccinated.
This is nearly 5 times more expensive than current global estimate for delivery costs. These costs range from $11 per fully vaccinated person in easier to reach areas, to $33 per dose in remote, difficult to reach areas. Gaps in vaccine coverage are particularly acute for mountainous areas, people with low mobility, and communities far from health centers. Even the lowest-cost estimates for the easiest to reach areas are nearly 3 times higher than global average estimates.
70% of these costs are personnel needs to ensure vaccines reach people at the last mile. This points to a major need to improve investments in vaccine delivery, especially the health care workers who administer vaccines and ensure everyone gets vaccinated.
Read More...