Borno, On a fresh Tuesday, Fatima Alhaji Mohammed and three various health workers arrived in Garmiri Village, Magumeri Local Government Area, Borno State.
They have been part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cellular, hard-to-reach health team dedicated to delivering essential healthcare services and products to underserved communities.
As the team have been setting up, a man interrupted them, pleading for assist for his wife, who had been in labour for over a day.
Being a nurse, Fatima immediately rushed to their apartment. She presently assessed the wife and realised she was in active labour and wished assist urgently. “I knew I had to carry the baby,” Fatima explained. “There was no time; the closest clinic was over six kilometres away, and the villagers may no longer bag there presently. Anything may have happened to the mum or her baby.
A Safe Beginning, a Sturdy Start
Because the WHO team was calm, the newborn immediately got the crucial vaccinations usually overlooked by babies born at dwelling in these areas. Within minutes after her start, she was vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG), polio (OPV zero dose), and Hepatitis B (Hep).
“Each start is a miracle, and I’m so happy we may assist,” Fatima said. “Moments savor that remind me why I achieve this work – providing safe provide and disease protection via vaccination in remote places. Since start, we have been following up regularly to be certain the little one’s vaccination is up-to-date, ” she added.
Reaching the Unreachable
With funding from partners like the European Commission (ECHO) and others, WHO has supported essential health services in hard-to-reach and insecure communities in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Benue States for over a decade. Working with the BAY state governments, WHO trained and deployed 35 mobile health teams of doctors, nurses/midwives, community health workers, and others.
These teams were a lifeline in areas with limited or no healthcare access, providing crucial services like antenatal care, routine immunisations, and basic medical care to those beyond the reach of clinics, often in communities more than seven kilometres from the nearest facility.
Professor Baba Mallam Gana, the Borno State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, emphasised WHO’s vital support: “The Borno State government is dedicated to improving the health of our people, especially women and children. WHO has been a valuable partner through mobile health teams and other initiatives, helping us strengthen our health system and reach the most vulnerable. We recognise that a healthy start is key to a brighter future and work tirelessly with WHO to achieve this.”
Healthy Beginnings, Brighter Futures
“From coverage to practice, WHO actively helps governmental efforts at all ranges to prioritise safe motherhood and be certain a healthy start for all newborns, said Dr Kumshida Balami, the WHO Nigeria Acting Emergency Manager.
“Championing safe mother and child healthcare delivery in the BAY states, WHO has, over the years, deployed mobile health teams that deliver vital antenatal care and safe deliveries to strengthen health facilities and trained local healthcare workers to strengthen health service delivery in the communities.
These activities underscore our unwavering commitment to ensuring every mother has a safe childbirth and every child gets the healthiest possible start to life,” added Dr Balami.
In 2024 alone, WHO’s interventions reached over 1,092,649 in the BAY States, particularly children and mothers residing in IDP camps and remote areas, providing antenatal, immunisation, medical services and products and psychosocial reinforce to the vulnerable population.
In Nigeria, WHO helps various interventions, including strengthening laboratory facilities, training health workers, disease surveillance, immunisation campaigns, and nutrition programmes to address malnutrition among children and pregnant ladies.
