Gaza 2020: Health Matters
Health Matters project is designed to improve emergency preparedness and response (EPR), and to improve access and availability of quality primary and secondary health care by building the capacity of NGOs and community-based organizations (CBO) in Gaza. Funded by USAID and Led by International Medical Corps (IMC), Juzoor along with consortium partners CARE and Mercy Corps, is responsible for implementing key project elements, including technical training for emergency response, community learning as part of community engagement and implementing a quality collaborative approach to improving Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and safe surgery measures for project partners.
Results of the Project are:
- IR 1: Increased emergency preparedness and response for health-related partners
- IR 2: Expanded access to targeted, quality primary care services in targeted health service providers
- IR 3: Increased availability of targeted hospital services in targeted health service providers
Technical Capacity Development for Improved Emergency Response
Juzoor has implemented various training packages for PHC and SHC partners. Trainings include Basic Life Support (BLS), First Aid (FA), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Assessment Emergency Stabilization and Recognition (PEARS), Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) as well as Hands-Only CPR awareness activities in clinics and hospitals across Gaza.
Juzoor supports community learning as part of community engagement in the Gaza Strip, in order to ensure active involvement of community actors including health graduates of academic institutions, health facilities, and community-based organizations.
- Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support training courses for fresh medical graduates from Gaza
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED training courses for community members in Gaza
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Safe Surgery
Juzoor works to ensure Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and safe surgery needs and gaps are addressed through a collaborative approach by introducing IPC and safe surgery concepts, WHO resources for hand-hygiene and safe surgery.
IPC Activities
- Meetings and Site Visits to Partner Organizations: Juzoor regularly conducts meetings and site visits to project partner organizations in Gaza to introduce the concept of addressing infection prevention needs and gaps through a collaborative approach, and follow up on IPC practices including hand hygiene compliance.
- Success Story: IPC partners are successfully implementing IPC practices including training their staff on hand hygiene practices, increasing environmental cleaning, and setting aims and plan forward to further implement IPC practices and compliance. St. John’s Eye Hospital in Gaza expressed that “when you take something in theory you feel it is difficult to apply, but once you start seeing how to apply you feel it is simple even when we do not have resources”.
- Exchange Visit for IPC Coaches: Juzoor conducted an exchange visit for the IPC coaches from among consortium partners to Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in Jerusalem, where Juzoor has contributed to the buildup of the IPC program through a quality improvement collaborative approach. The visit provided the coaches with hands on experience of effective coaching and supporting within a holistic system of infection prevention at AVH.
Safe Surgery Activities
- Meetings and Site Visits to Partner Organizations: Juzoor regularly conducts meetings with safe surgery partner hospitals in Gaza to introduce safe surgery principles addressed by WHO as part of the patient safety initiative worldwide. Juzoor’s technical team also conducts site visits to the partner hospitals to discuss the safe surgery principles with staff and model application of the WHO surgical safety checklist with the OR team and coaches as well as address infection prevention matters related to the operating rooms standards, instrument processing and sterilization departments, and follow up on safe surgery practices.
- ALSO International Conference: Juzoor’s arranged for two ALSO instructors from the West Bank to attend the ALSO International conference in Seattle, USA on October 4-5, 2017 to receive the updates on the ALSO curriculum and maintain the international faculty licenses. Juzoor’s Director and ALSO Advisory Faculty, Dr. Salwa Najjab as well as ALSO instructor Dr. Ahmed Alsarahna attended the conference.
