From Leaking Roofs to Reliable Care: How ACOMIN’s Community-Led Monitoring is Transforming Health Outcomes in Kaduna

From:Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

Communities in Kaduna are facing significant challenges in their primary health facilities. Overworked staff, empty shelves of essential medications, and deteriorating infrastructure are not just statistics; they represent the daily struggles of mothers who travel long distances, only to find no nurse available, or discover that patients are being turned away due to shortages.

This situation is eroding the community’s trust in local health systems.

This crisis can be summarized as a “Triple Challenge”: a shortage of healthcare workers, a lack of medical supplies, and the deterioration of facilities. In many primary health centers, one or two staff members are often responsible for covering both day and night shifts, leading to fatigue, burnout, and inconsistent service.

Moreover, the absence of security personnel leaves these facilities vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Frequent shortages of vital medical supplies, such as HIV test kits, antimalarial drugs, and rapid diagnostic tools for tuberculosis and malaria, force patients to seek care elsewhere or abandon treatment altogether.

Aging buildings with cracked walls, leaking roofs, inadequate ventilation, and missing toilets or reliable power sources further compromise patient safety and quality of care, undermining both infection prevention measures and the dignity of care.

Nicodemus Ogidi, the Program Officer of the Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunization, and Nutrition (ACOMIN) in Kaduna, has highlighted these challenges and emphasized the critical role ACOMIN plays in strengthening Nigeria’s community health response.

Supported by the Global Fund through its Principal Recipient, ACOMIN is implementing the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) initiative within the framework of the Global Fund.

This initiative empowers citizens to identify gaps in service delivery, advocate for solutions, and hold authorities accountable, thereby improving community health systems and outcomes.

Mr. Ogidi noted that the ACOMIN-led CLM initiative has already achieved significant results this year, including renovations and upgrades of several health facilities, procurement of essential health supplies for numerous centers, enhanced security through fencing, and improved uptake of Artemether, a key antimalarial drug. These efforts have led to improved data quality.

These successes are beginning to shift the narrative from shortages to proactive solutions.

To transition from crisis to sustainable progress, ACOMIN encourages all stakeholders to engage actively. Mr. Ogidi stated that federal, state, and local governments must prioritize strengthening the health system through more targeted investments. This includes recruiting and retaining qualified healthcare workers, ensuring a consistent supply of essential commodities for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as renovating or expanding dilapidated facilities.

Private sector actors and philanthropists can help bridge resource gaps by funding staff welfare initiatives, supplying essential medical products, and supporting infrastructure improvements.

Mr. Ogidi also emphasized the vital role of media organizations in amplifying community voices, highlighting on-the-ground challenges, and ensuring accountability from decision-makers. Journalists can maintain public attention on health sector issues, advocate for transparent resource allocation, and celebrate community successes stemming from the CLM initiative.

Community leaders, including traditional and religious figures, must mobilize their constituents to actively participate in monitoring service delivery, report gaps in staffing and supplies, and advocate for prompt responses. Their influence can foster behavioral change, dispel myths about health services, and drive greater investment in local facilities.

The triple challenge of staff shortages, commodity stockouts, and crumbling infrastructure across Nigeria’s health facilities requires coordinated action from the government, the private sector, the media, and communities. Through advocacy, investment, and the continued empowerment of citizens via the Community-Led Monitoring project, health facilities can be transformed into reliable centers of care.

ACOMIN is committed to supporting this effort, empowering communities, and promoting accountability to ensure better health outcomes for all Nigerians.