Mobile health services improve access to healthcare in northern Nigeria

MENTOR is supporting primary healthcare and mobile health services with integrated malaria, WASH and nutrition activities in two communities in Maiduguri, northern Nigeria.

Funded by the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (OCHA), the life-saving programme aims to reach 90,000 people living in internally displaced camps and host populations with improved healthcare, nutrition support, reproductive health, and disease prevention.

Key to reaching people in these vulnerable settings are mobile clinics, which deliver free primary healthcare, treatment for common illnesses, and health education sessions in communities that are hard to reach.

Falmata Bukar Adam (47) lives in the Bula-Bulin Alajiri area in Maiduguri and is originally from Nganzai Local Government Area. She has 11 children and is among several hundred thousand internally displaced people in Borno State. She said:

“Life has been extremely difficult since we settled here. My children, neighbours and I frequently became ill, suffering from persistent fevers. My youngest daughter often experienced vomiting and diarrhea. Our biggest challenge was accessing proper healthcare. Although the nearest health facility provided consultations, it lacked essential medicines, and we could not afford to buy the prescribed medicines from pharmacies. This discouraged many of us from seeking medical attention.

“Then The MENTOR Initiative arrived in our community, bringing hope and life-saving interventions. The mobile clinics have made the biggest difference as they come directly to our neighbourhood, offering free medical consultations and treatment with compassion and professionalism. Now we can access healthcare without worrying about the cost of medicines.”