MISP Implementation in Tanzania

Location:

Introduction:

During a humanitarian crisis, women and children are often most affected, as was reflected among the Burundian population in Tanzania’s Nyarugusu refugee camp. In mid-May 2015 thousands of Burundian refugees fled the civil unrest in Burundi and sought refuge in Tanzania’s Nyarugusu camp which was originally built for a population of 50,000 but exceeded 100,000 by October 2015. There were critical SRHSexual and reproductive health needs among women and girls arriving in the camp and a high demand for services.

Project Description:

In July 2015, the IRC’s Emergency Preparedness Response Unit (EPRU) deployed an Emergency Reproductive Health Coordinator from their Emergency Response Team who, together with Tanzania country health programs, worked closely with the Tanzania Red Cross Society and other local health actors to launch the MISPMinimum Initial Service Package for RH services in the camp.

Results:

The IRC established two fully functioning emergency reproductive health clinics and a maternity unit and filled staffing gaps in the clinics to ensure 24/7 access to RH services with an efficient medical referral system in place. RH KitsInter-Agency Reproductive Health Kits were then shipped from IRC’s prepositioned stock in Amsterdam to supply project sites with commodities and medicines. Urgent RH services to the displaced Burundian population were established with in service clinical refresher training for staff. Community Health Workers were identified to raise community awareness of priority RH needs and available RH services. Results showed 64 new clients per week for family planning; 15 clients per month for management of abortion; an average of 3 survivors of sexual assault per week received clinical care; and an average of 215 deliveries were conducted per month in the maternity unit.

Lessons Learned:

The IRC’s experience in Nyarugusu Camp demonstrates that sound investments in disaster preparedness such as dedicated staff to lead MISPMinimum Initial Service Package implementation and pre-positioned SRHSexual and reproductive health supplies can set the foundation for successful MISPMinimum Initial Service Package implementation and effectively address the SRHSexual and reproductive health needs of a crisis-affected population. Capacity-building and on-the-job training for health staff helped to build service quality and facilitated scale-up to comprehensive RH while community health workers worked with the community to generate increased awareness of and demand for SRHSexual and reproductive health services.