About GOAL
GOAL is an international humanitarian aid agency who's mission is to work with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and recover from humanitarian crises, and to assist them build transcendent solutions to mitigate poverty and vulnerability.
Currently operational in 13 countries, GOAL has been implementing health programmes for over 40 years across emergency, chronic crisis and development contexts which are underpinned by a commitment to health service development in fragile contexts.
As well as responding to the immediate health needs of communities, GOAL addresses the underlying causes of poor health outcomes in fragile contexts, building resilient systems that can provide quality, accessible and efficient health, nutrition and WASH services, alongside an enhanced ability for people to care for their own well-being.
GOAL in action
Improved access to health care for IDPs and vulnerable populations in North Darfur
Years of conflict in Sudan have severely disrupted the provision of primary health care services. In North Darfur, weakened health services and lack of staff in health facilities have had a dramatic impact on internally displaced (IDPs) and vulnerable people’s access to health care.
GOAL has been addressing gaps in health services in North Darfur since the early years of the conflict and continues to complement the efforts of the Ministry of Health to ensure access to the basic package of primary health care services for IDPs and vulnerable populations. The agency currently supports 17 healthcare facilities across Kutum and Al-Waha localities, serving more than 180,000 internally displaced and vulnerable people.
Participation in the Sudan Health Cluster has been essential to conduct joint assessments of the affected communities’ needs and map partners’ interventions to ensure synergies and avoid overlap. GOAL was assigned the responsibility to provide essential health, nutrition and WASH services to the Kutum and Al-Waha facilities, as well as to support the supply chain of WHO-procured essential medicines/supplies and to ensure the last-mile delivery for patients in need.
GOAL
Ministry of Health staff prepares to take blood pressure of pregnant woman during an antenatal care visit at Kutum health facility
Ministry of Health staff prepares to take blood pressure of pregnant woman during an antenatal care visit at Kutum health facility
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Credits
With the strengthening of the health system at the centre of its strategy, GOAL set out to build the managerial and technical skills of national staff to deliver quality health services. The services provided in Kutum and Al-Waha’s health facilities include consultations for treatment of malaria, respiratory tract infections, reproductive health services and immunization. In addition, social and behaviour change approaches have been integrated to the facilities’ health services, and mobile clinics deliver health and nutrition services to IDPs and hard-to-reach areas.
Between 2016 and 2019, GOAL’s efforts have led to a significant improvement of services uptake. Clinic utilization rates have increased from 0.9 to 1.7 visits/per person/per year in 2019 in supported health facilities. Immunization rates for children fully immunized reached 68% (up from 48% in 2016), and the numbers of women who attend four or more antenatal care visits during pregnancy has also increased steadily in the past few years.
As the security and political context in Sudan improves, GOAL has been working with the Federal Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders to design a programme to transition to a new model of phased and structured support to primary health care facilities, Locality Health Authorities (LHA) and National Medical Supply Fund (NMSF). The European Union-supported programme aims to strengthens linkages within and between these agencies and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to increase their capacity to deliver health services.
Health Cluster engagement
South Sudan
Co-Coordinator (May 2015-January 2017 and earlier)
Strategic Advisory Group member
Partner at sub-national level
Sudan
Partner at national level
Partner at sub-national level (North Darfur, South Kordofan States)
Capacity Development Consultation Group
Co-chair