Strengthening the Frontline…
Closing Primary Care gaps in NCDs prevention and control in Nigeria
A primary health facility in Lagos, Nigeria, that partnered with Health Proactivists Initiative to deliver health information, hypertension and type 2 diabetes screening and support.
The 2025 World Health Day focuses on the importance of maternal and newborn health, under the theme “Health Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”
As we marked it, we reflected on the role primary health centres play as one of the most critical components of Nigeria’s healthcare system. These centres are more than just local clinics; they’re the foundation of care for millions, especially for women navigating pregnancy and childbirth.
Stronger primary health centres mean fewer complications during and after pregnancy. They also play a critical role in identifying and managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and diabetes, both of which can become life-threatening to mothers and their unborn children during pregnancy.
Bold Moves by the Nigerian Government
Recently, Nigeria has taken significant steps to directly address maternal mortality. The Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) is one such game-changer, offering:
Free cesarean sections for eligible women
Free emergency obstetric care for those with pregnancy complications in 154 select facilities
Low-cost ultrasound scans to encourage more antenatal visits and early detection
Furthermore, initiatives such as the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), launched in 2009, and Ondo State’s Abiye (Safe Motherhood) Programme, which reduced maternal deaths by nearly 85% in seven years, demonstrate that targeted interventions are effective.
The Gaps That Still Need Bridging
Despite progress, many community health centres still struggle with limited resources, understaffed facilities, and inconsistent service delivery. These challenges put mothers and newborns at risk every day.
That’s where social impact organisations like Health Proactivists Initiative step in.
Building Health Systems from the Ground Up
Between 2021 and 2024, our community health checkup programme targeted these system gaps by:
Supplying essential medicines and diagnostic tools for NCD care to 7+ health facilities across four states in Nigeria
Retraining 100+ community health workers to strengthen the workforce
Launching advocacy campaigns to hold stakeholders accountable
These efforts not only supported early non-communicable disease (NCD) screening, prevention, and control in primary care clinics but also helped enhance the quality of antenatal visits and overall maternal health, while providing better ongoing care for individuals living with hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
It exemplifies the cross-cutting role of health systems strengthening in supporting health for all.
We're currently restructuring this programme and hope to scale its impact even further.
You can support our work through donations, volunteering, or contacting us to partner as we reform our projects and build a scalable model to prevent premature deaths due to NCDS.
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