MOBILE CLINICS BRING HEALTHCARE TO REMOTE ADAMAWA COMMUNITIES, REACH OVER 350,000 PEOPLE

For residents in remote parts of Adamawa State, where the nearest health facility can mean hours of walking through flooded paths or insecure terrain, access to basic care has long been a matter of survival rather than convenience. For years, thousands have struggled to access routine immunisation, antenatal care, mental health support and treatment for chronic illnesses, with women, children, displaced families and persons living with disabilities bearing the brunt of these barriers.

Now, a targeted mobile outreach initiative is rewriting that story. Between September and December 2025, the Adamawa State Government, through its Ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agency, deployed 10 mobile clinics to underserved communities across 10 local government areas. With technical backing from the World Health Organization and funding from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, the initiative delivered more than 410 outreach visits, reaching over 350,500 people.

The services provided were wide-ranging, from antenatal and postnatal care to routine immunization, outpatient consultations, nutrition screening, reproductive health services and disease surveillance. Crucially, the outreach also prioritized mental health and support for survivors of gender-based violence.

For 22-year-old Musa Ali from Mafiya village in Song Local Government Area, the intervention was life-changing. For years, he endured frequent seizures without diagnosis or treatment, unable to afford transport to the nearest health facility located seven kilometers away. During a mobile clinic visit, health workers diagnosed him with epilepsy, commenced treatment and trained his family on seizure management. Within weeks, his condition improved significantly. He regained strength, resumed daily activities and, perhaps most importantly, helped reduce stigma in his community as others began seeking help for similar symptoms.

By the end of 2025, more than 172,000 people had received mental health and psychosocial support through the mobile outreach. This included over 3,600 people living with epilepsy, nearly 1,900 battling depression and hundreds facing substance use disorders or psychosis. Additionally, 812 survivors of gender-based violence accessed confidential clinical care and referral services.

Health officials say the integrated model, which brings together nurses, community health workers, counsellors, mental health focal persons and gender-based violence officers, ensures multiple needs are addressed in a single visit, especially in communities reached only intermittently. The initiative has not only expanded access to care but also strengthened trust in the health system, improving referrals and continuity of care in vulnerable communities.

As insecurity and climate-related challenges continue to disrupt traditional service delivery, Adamawa’s mobile clinic model is emerging as a powerful example of how proactive investment, strategic partnerships and last-mile healthcare delivery can move Nigeria closer to universal health coverage. For communities once cut off from essential services, healthcare is no longer a distant promise, it is now arriving at their doorstep.