In Maiduguri, in the Jere Local Government Area of northeastern Nigeria, Doctors of the World is strengthening services at the Dalaram Primary Health Center.
Located in the immediate vicinity of a camp for internally displaced persons, this facility provides the only healthcare for nearly 36,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are displaced. Each day, more than 200 patients are treated there, making the center a vital link in access to healthcare in a region severely affected by insecurity and weak public services.
Funding from the European Union enables Doctors of the World to provide free medical consultations, distribute essential medicines, and offer services dedicated to survivors of gender-based violence, along with awareness-raising activities. The center also provides mental health and psychosocial support, prenatal and postnatal care, and family planning services. In addition, the facility receives support in the form of medical equipment, supplies, and solar panels, ensuring a reliable electricity supply essential for lighting, ventilation, and the secure storage of medicines.
Amina* lives a short walk from the Dalaram health center, which she has been attending for five years. That day, suffering from a fever, she walked there for a consultation. While she initially chose this facility simply because of its proximity, it is now the quality of care and the warm welcome extended to patients that keep her coming back. She regularly brings her children there, the youngest of whom was born at the center itself.
Amina affirms that even without free services, she would continue to come, especially for her children, convinced that “health is the most important thing.” The free care, however, allows her to preserve her modest income for other essential expenses. During her previous visit, a month earlier, she participated in a group awareness session on mental health, organized during her daughter’s appointment. She explains that she learned a great deal and emphasizes the importance of these discussions, which she believes help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues. For Amina, access to these services is both reassuring and extremely valuable.
Doctors of the World currently supports eight health facilities in northwest and northeast Nigeria, including the center in Dalaram. This system enables more than 125,000 people to access safe and quality primary and secondary healthcare.