Health Cluster frontline workers respond to COVID-19

24 September 2020

The Health Cluster celebrates World Humanitarian Day each year and continues to recognize the #RealLifeHeroes leading the health response to COVID-19 all year round. The frontline health workers featured in this story are global, national and local level partners of Country Health Clusters responding to the COVID-19 emergency.

Health Cluster teams and partners are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic within the framework of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan towards the following strategic priorities:

Contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and decrease morbidity and mortality;
Decrease the deterioration of human assets and rights, social cohesion and livelihoods;
Protect, assist and advocate for refugees, internally displaced people, migrants and host communities particularly vulnerable to the pandemic.

The work of the Health Cluster is to operationalize the global level strategies and guide the response to the COVID-19 pandemic from every sector of government and society.

The photos featured are centred around the nine pillars of the COVID-19 Operational Planning Guidelines to Support Country Preparedness: Country-level coordination, planning and monitoring; risk communication and community engagement; surveillance, rapid-response teams, and case investigation; points of entry, international travel and transport; national laboratories; infection prevention and control; case management; operational support and logistics; and maintaining essential health services and systems.

© WHO occupied Palestinian territory / June 2020
WHO oPt Médecins du Monde France lead a simulation training for the COVID-19 response in Gaza strip

Pillar 1: Country-level coordination, planning and monitoring

WHO in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), as Health Cluster lead, and Médecins du Monde France, conducted several simulation-based training exercises with local health authorities and health providers to boost preparedness for the COVID-19 response. Over five days trainees participated in simulation exercises which focused on proper use and disposal of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 triage pathways and case management. These exercises allow the Health Cluster partners and authorities to identify and remedy gaps in the health system’s capacity to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. The activity was conducted thanks to the support of EU Humanitarian aid.

Pillar 9: Maintaining essential health services and systems (3)

Samaritan’s Purse is providing primary healthcare services and hygiene sensitization to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Colombia. Working in coordination with the Colombia Department of Health, the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration, Samaritan’s Purse is supporting migrants and local communities with their mobile medical brigade in Norte de Santander and Bolivar. Their team is raising awareness on proper hygiene and on COVID-19 prevention and symptoms. One focus has been on supporting the Yukpa community, an indigenous tribe and migrant community arriving from Venezuela. Samarian’s Purse provides primary healthcare services and works with Yukpa community leaders to improve camp conditions in preventative health interventions.

© Abdul Qauom Abdullahi / World Vision / June 2020
A doctor with World Vision Afghanistan provides essential health services to children during COVID-19 outbreak

Pillar 9: Maintaining essential health services and systems (2)

Dr Fariba Mahaki from the mobile health and nutrition team with World Vision Afghanistan conducts regular health assessments for children in Ghor Province. Patients are sensitized on COVID-19 prevention and treatment during routine care visits. Mobile response teams are able to reach internally displaced populations and expand access to COVID-19 prevention information and provide primary health, immunization, acute malnutrition and WASH services. Starting in February 2020, World Vision expanded their work in Afghanistan to efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, reaching 120,000 people in Badghis, Ghor and Herat provinces.

Yoah Bangoang / Healthcare Foundation Organization / July 2020
Nyayaka and Karama, HFO Staff crossing flooded areas for immunization campaign

Pillar 9: Maintaining essential health services and systems (1)

Healthcare Foundation Organization (HFO), a national NNGO in South Sudan and South Sudan Health Cluster partner since 2017, is responding to the COVID-19 emergency in Fangak County and Aweil East County. HFO staff are providing training on proper use of infrared thermometers and personal protective equipment to local communities as well as supporting the continuation of immunizations, antenatal care visits and other essential health services during the COVID-19 emergency. Heavy rains causing flooding did not deter their staff from conducting immunization campaigns in hard-to-reach areas of Fangak.

© Libya Health Sector / June 2020
UNFPA provides 15 sets of productive health supplies and commodities to 5 health facilities in Libya. These supplies will provide essential services to 1215 women.

Pillar 8: Operational support and logistics

From January to May 2020, the Libya Health Sector supported 181 public health facilities with health services and requested commodities. A total of 1,574 standard health kits were distributed to almost all districts in Libya, with Health Sector partners, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Humanity & Inclusion, Premiere Urgence International, UNHCR, IOM, WHO, UNICEF and others covering 14 internally displaced people (IDP) camps. Libya Health Sector partners have been essential in logistical support with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 supplies.

© Heba Ramadan / Viyan Organization / July 2020
Community health worker, Iman Ahmad, provides home COVID-19 visits in an IDP camp in Iraq

Pillar 7: Case management (2)

Viyan Organization is a national NGO and partner of the Iraq Health Cluster since 2019. Viyan Organization provides mental health and psychosocial support services in the Hasan Sham U2 camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) and has leveraged their local presence to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. In addition to providing psychological first aid and other psychosocial support services during home visits, community health workers identify and refer suspected COVID-19 cases and raise awareness about COVID-19 symptoms, transmission methods and prevention.

Pillar 7: Case management (1)

Human Development Concern (HDC), a national NGO and Somalia Health Cluster partner since 2007, manages eleven health centres in Somalia and specializes in preparedness and response to new disease outbreaks in the Gedo, Lower Juba and Bay regions of Somalia, particularly in combating Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) and cholera outbreaks. HDC also provides cash-based interventions to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls to gender-based violence (GBV). All eleven health centres have begun providing COVID-19 related services in the facilities and in the communities they serve.

Mai Zamora / Medair / June 2020
A Medair hygiene officer helps young boy wash hands at the market in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pillar 6: Infection prevention and control (2)

Medair has worked in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1996 providing emergency infrastructure, WASH and health and nutrition services to support communities affected by conflict in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the easter regions of DRC. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Medair leveraged their multi-sectoral work and ongoing projects containing the Ebola outbreak to best respond to this new emergency. Medair is in the process of rehabilitating the WASH infrastructure at 25 health facilities and working with local health workers to raise awareness about COVID-19 transmission and prevention. They have also set up hand washing stations at strategic locations in selected markets as a preventative measure to protect essential workers.

Pillar 6: Infection prevention and control (1)

INTERSOS has been operating in Iraq since 2003 and has been a partner of the Iraq Health Cluster since 2016. INTERSOS medical teams are actively carrying out awareness raising sessions at the community level and providing technical trainings for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the Governorates of Ninawa and Salah ad Din. INTERSOS established a pre-triage screening system and provides personal protective equipment and Infection Prevention and Control materials in response to the COVID-19 emergency at 10 health facilities in Iraq. © Rand Talal Mahmoud / INTERSOS / July 2020

Pillar 5: National laboratories

Concern Worldwide leads a multi-partner consortium, with financial support from UK AID and implemented with support of the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to staff COVID-19 booths. Available at no cost, patients can get a digital consultation from a doctor, receive COVID-19 testing, masks and infection prevention sensitization information. Concern Worldwide has been operating in Bangladesh for 48 years, working to reduce poverty, respond to humanitarian emergencies and improve health outcomes.

© Relief International / April 2020
A Relief International staff member conducts screening at Point of Entry between Afghanistan's Farah and Herat provinces

Pillar 4: Points of entry, international travel and transport

Relief International has been preparing for the arrival of COVID-19 in Afghanistan for months, but their focus on prevention and preparedness dates back to 2001. Last year alone, Relief International trained 10,000 people on strategies for disease prevention to help prevent future outbreaks. Last year alone, Relief International trained 10,000 people on strategies for disease prevention to help prevent future outbreaks. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, local staff established several screening checkpoints at national borders and borders between provinces to support case detection. They have also sourced protective medical gear to protect frontline health workers despite global shortages of these critical supplies.

© Ismail Taxta / Mercy-USA / May 2020
Muniro Muhamed Ahmed screens patients at the entry of Wajeer Health Center in Somalia

Pillar 3: Surveillance, rapid-response teams and case investigation

Mercy-USA has operated in Somalia since 1994 and has been a longstanding partner of the Somalia Health Cluster. With the financial support of UK Aid Direct, Mercy-USA provides essential healthcare services in Karaan and Daynile districts in the Banadir region of Somalia. Through its COVID-19 emergency response project, Mercy-USA has distributed essential personal protective equipment and infrared thermometers to health facilities. They have also expanding existing work of community health workers and female community influencers who support internally displaced populations (IDPs) to increase case detection and promote referral or self-isolation.

© Ann Njeri / Christian Mission Aid / April 2020
A COVID-19 task force staff member conducting awareness-raising activities in Lankien, South Sudan

Pillar 2: Risk Communication and Community Engagement (3)

Christian Mission Aid, a National NGO and South Sudan Health Cluster partner since 2010, is contributing to the national response to COVID-19 with assistance from UNICEF by providing risk communication and community engagement activities. They are also supporting the Pokbor Primary Healthcare Centre in Nyirol County by establishing handwashing stations at the triage site and by offering health education sessions.

© Gloria De Marchi / Concern Worldwide / May 2020
As a preventative measure to COVID-19, Concern Worldwide hosted awareness-training and education sessions at the office of the mayor in Ombella M'Poko prefecture, Central African Republic

Pillar 2: Risk Communication and Community Engagement (2)

Concern Worldwide has been operating in Central African Republic since 2014. Thanks to funding from Irish Aid, Concern Worldwide supports 13 health facilities in the prefecture of Ombella M’Poko, providing pharmaceuticals, equipment and capacity-building sessions. Their integrated health package incorporates both the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and the Infant and Young Children Feeding (IYCF) approaches to provide prevention and treatment support to families.

© Mohamud Mohamed / Banadir Development Foundation (BADEF) / June 2020
Abdullahi Mohamed Ibrahim, BADEF Field Officer raises awareness of COVID-19 risks and engages with the community in the Marka district of Somalia

Pillar 2: Risk Communication and Community Engagement (1)

Banadir Development Foundation (BADEF) is a national NGO and partner of the Somalia Health Cluster. In an initial assessment of the preparedness for COVID-19, BADEF staff identified several misconceptions and cultural practices that were of a high priority to address in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. For example, the burial practices placed bereaved family members at risk of infection due to lack of gloves in preparing the body and paying last respects. By providing contextually relevant adaptations to guidance on safe practices for funerals and by distributing masks and gloves, BADEF was able to increase awareness of how COVID-19 spreads and address gaps in access to personal protective equipment.

COVID-19 Partners Platform

GHC COVID-19 response