From Community to Community
In Diffa, community volunteers have been trained to provide children with quality promotive and preventive care, as well as curative services against life-threatening diseases like malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea
Only one in two people have access to basic health services in Niger. Because most child deaths occur at home, before reaching health facilities, preventing fatalities by improving child health through community health workers is crucial.
UNICEF and partners engage community health workers to provide children with quality promotive and preventive care, as well as curative services against life-threatening diseases like malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.
In Diffa, high costs and long distances to health facilities and barriers due to conflict prevent families in many communities from receiving care.
As trusted members of society, community health workers help families make informed decisions about their health and well-being, and educate them on available services. UNICEF and partners support and train them to provide essential services, prevent the spread of diseases and respond to humanitarian crises.
In 2019, through the Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illness approach, community health workers have managed to treat hundreds of thousands cases of malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia nationally. Introduced in Niger since 2013, the country has scaled-up the approach with UNICEF support. It covers now a total of 38 districts compared to 28 districts in 2018.
