Emergency Response

The initial response started during the post-election violence in 2008, whereby SWAP was supporting internally displaced and returnees with health products, material support and counseling. The main aim was to prevent diarrhea, malaria and other disease outbreaks and to mitigate the negative impact of the trauma.

The purpose of the emergency response was to provide a rapid integrated response to outbreaks to reduce morbidity and mortality, and prevent the spread of illness.

Response activities have two principal components:

Training on rapid integrated response to outbreaks to the Ministry of Health representatives, administrative leaders, representatives of NGO’, Community Health Assistants and Community Health Volunteers
Distribution of water treatment, storage and hygiene products and mosquito nets to the affected families as well as to health facilities

There have been several disease outbreaks such as cholera and response during flood. SWAP has received support from Harber Charitable Foundation for general support and CDC in the case of cholera respond in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

SWAP is members of the Humanitarian Coordination Hub coordinated by UNICEF, which brings together all the partners for disaster preparedness and response as well as election preparedness.

SWAP continued to offer preventive services through promotion and social marketing of health and hygiene products together with hygiene promotion including hand washing.

Some desperate cases supported are referrals.

Examples are vulnerable and desperate families who need support with medical or funeral bills, shelter, loss during theft or fire, displacement, nutritional support or business seed money. Each case is scrutinized and counselled by SWAPs community support officer and communities are involved for sustainability and cost sharing.