Case Study: UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Project Background Two decades of outdated health infrastructure, lack of essential drugs and dilapidated health facilities required external support from the international community. “MCH project which was started in 2006 covered 5 Provinces, leaving three North East provinces without any assistance” (The three North East Provinces were categorized as inaccessible by Government until late 2008). The UNCERF project started in 2008 has been implemented in selected areas of these northern provinces.
How did the project address this gap? The UNCERF project covered gaps in addressing the health needs of women and children in the northern areas. Providing upgrading of support to county hospitals and some provincial paediatric and maternity hospitals, is contributing to balanced health service interventions in all the geographical areas of the country in parallel with the ongoing MCH project. The project has the advantages of quick implementation cycles and convergence of support (like investing all the inputs for operation theatre, delivery room, laboratory, section blood and transfusion hospital).
emergency room in one
Health indicators of women and children in the target areas are showing improved trends for example, access to health care increased by 40%; number of hospital deliveries increased by 15%; number of post-operative complications, particularly after the cesarean sections decreased for 78%; duration of stay in hospital bed decreased for 35%. Number of surviving low birth newborns increased by 80%. No maternal mortality cases were reported in these hospitals.
How did this help the health workers? “As the director of a county hospital, I feel proud that our hospital has radically changed in 2009. All the major sections including the operation theatre have been modernized with the relevant medical kits. Particularly, surgeons, ob/gyn doctors and pediatricians are very happy about the big difference it has made.”