Building and operating free primary healthcare clinics in Nigeria

This is a long-term project in Nigeria to set up micro clinics and provide low-income citizens with free primary healthcare, including consultations, medications, and treatment.

Why is this work necessary?

Approximately 60% of Nigeria's population is multidimensionally poor, and 40% live below the world poverty line of $1.90 per day. This dire economic situation forces citizens to make an impossible choice between sustenance and health. As a result, families are losing loved ones to easily treatable diseases that have had widely available cures for decades.

The solution

Convert unused and freely provided spaces in established community buildings (e.g. a church or supermarket) into micro clinics capable of supporting up to 4,000 visitors annually. These clinics will run Monday to Friday from 8am - 4pm.

How this will work

Securing the location

Deep community support exists for this solution, first seeded in 2022 by the AHA initiative, our lead partner on this project. This support means the space is provided free of charge, as are the rent and utility costs.

Staffing and stocking the clinic

Two experienced and registered nurses will staff each clinic. Supplementary capacity will also be available due to an existing network of willing volunteer medical doctors who will occasionally reside in clinics.

Clinics will have locally sourced medical equipment, medications, and necessary supplies, including feminine menstrual products and mosquito nets.

Partnering with local pharmacies

Local pharmacies will occasionally donate medications and supplies to supplement the clinic's operations.

Community recycling

A plastic recycling programme will be attached to each clinic. This will allow patients, community members, and businesses to quickly drop off plastic waste, which, when recycled, will generate additional funds to support the clinic's operations.

Impact and outcomes of this work

Scaling this project over the long term will significantly reduce the burden of preventable diseases while smartly and cost-effectively improving overall community health.