Chad Sido Refugee Health Center

Project Summary

As a result of the crisis in the Central African Republic in 2013, more than 110,000 people fled the violence and sought refuge in camps set up in south-eastern Chad. According to the United Nations (UNHCR), there will be more than 607,269 thousand refugees in Chad and other neighboring countries by 2023. According to official figures, 67 out of every thousand babies in Chad die during childbirth. The continued growth of the population in the Sido refugee camps and inadequate sanitation are causing health conditions in the region to deteriorate. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) 2023 report, more than 2.1 million people are at risk of malnutrition. Mortality rates are increasing by the day, especially among children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, more than 1.36 million children in the region require nutritional treatment in 2023. In addition, there has been a significant increase in child malnutrition and related diseases. The Sido Health Centre provided primary health care services to refugees who settled in the Doyaba transit camp in July 2014. In 2016, with the transfer of refugees from Doyaba to Sido refugee camp, a new health center was opened to provide regular services to people in need.

Sido Health Centre; Due to the inadequacy of the health system in Chad, there are 3.7 doctors per 100,000 people in the country. Therefore, as the population in the region is increasing day by day, the scope of primary health care services provided at the center has been expanded and services have started to be provided in different branches. The Sido Refugee Health Centre currently employs 15 staff. Services provided: Primary health care services, antenatal care, ultrasound services, delivery services, nutritional health services, laboratory services, vaccination services, medication support.

Achievements and Impact

During the August–November period, basic health, maternal and child health, and nutrition services were delivered under the Chad Programme through the Sido Refugee Health Center, the Sido Mother and Child Health Center, and the Sido Nutrition Health Center. Data from this four-month period clearly demonstrate the scope of activities implemented and the number of beneficiaries reached, disaggregated by service categories.

Within the scope of primary health care services provided at the Sido Refugee Health Center, a total of 3,790 consultation sessions were conducted during the August–November period. The monthly breakdown shows 1,590 sessions in August, 961 in September, and 1,239 in October, with no services recorded in November. During the same period, 1,389 individuals benefited from laboratory services, and a total of 2,791 laboratory tests were performed. 5,901 people received medicines and medical supplies. In addition, a total of 4,439 hygiene kits were distributed between August and November. These figures indicate that both curative and preventive health services were delivered simultaneously through an integrated service delivery approach.

Activities at the Sido Mother and Child Health Center focused primarily on maternal and child health. During the August–November period, a total of 387 gynecology consultation sessions were conducted. 776 antenatal care sessions were delivered, and 320 normal deliveries were supported during the same period. Diagnostic services included 52 ultrasound examinations. Under immunization activities, 268 mothers and 2,016 children benefited from vaccination support. These results highlight the importance of preventive and protective services for maternal and child health as a core component of the programme.

At the Sido Nutrition Health Center, 15,840 nutrition consultation sessions were recorded during the August–November period. Monthly figures indicate 4,862 sessions in August, 5,741 in September, and 5,237 in October, with no data recorded for November. During the same period, 427 children benefited from nutrition treatment services. In addition, 540 individuals received medicines as part of nutrition-related treatment. These data demonstrate that interventions addressing child malnutrition were implemented at a high and sustained scale.

Overall, during the August–November period, tens of thousands of health and nutrition service sessions were delivered under the Chad Programme, and thousands of individuals directly benefited from these services. The verified data clearly illustrate the programme’s tangible and measurable impact on refugee and vulnerable populations.

Conclusion

  Launched in Chad in 2014, we have further strengthened our healthcare services with the addition of our new clinic in 2019. With 25 years of experience in providing healthcare services to communities in need of humanitarian assistance, we deliver the most challenging services with professionalism in times of crisis and normal. In the future, we aim to expand our capacity by adding new clinics to our inventory and continuously improve the healthcare services we provide. We will continue our efforts in the knowledge that access to healthcare is not a privilege, but a fundamental right.

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