Who are IDPs? Why is healthcare more difficult to access after displacement? What are common health challenges among IDPs? Why does this matter beyond IDPs? And what can be done going forward?
Millions of Nigerians have been forced to leave their homes because of conflict, insecurity, flooding, and communal violence. Many of these individuals and families now live in temporary camps or crowded host communities as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
While displacement affects nearly every part of life, one of the biggest challenges faced by IDPs is access to healthcare. For many displaced families, getting medical care is difficult, expensive, or sometimes completely unavailable.
Improving healthcare access for displaced populations is essential for protecting lives, reducing disease outbreaks, and strengthening community well-being across Nigeria.
Internally displaced persons are people who are forced to leave their homes due to violence, disasters, or insecurity but remain within their country.
In Nigeria, displacement has been linked to:
Armed conflict and insurgency
Bandit attacks and communal clashes
Flooding and environmental disasters
Economic and security instability
Many displaced families lose not only their homes, but also their jobs, social support systems, and access to healthcare services.
When people are displaced, healthcare systems around them are often disrupted. Clinics may be too far away, understaffed, poorly equipped, or unable to handle the large number of people needing care.
Some IDP camps have only limited health services, while others depend heavily on humanitarian organizations and temporary outreach programs.
As a result, many people delay seeking treatment until their condition becomes severe.
One of the biggest problems is the lack of nearby healthcare facilities. Even where clinics exist, they may not have enough:
Doctors and nurses
Essential medicines
Medical equipment
Laboratory services
People living with long-term conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, HIV, or sickle cell disease may miss regular treatment because of displacement.
Without consistent care, these illnesses can become life-threatening.
Pregnant women and children are among the most vulnerable groups in displacement settings.
Many women struggle to access the following:
Antenatal care
Skilled birth attendants
Emergency obstetric services
Postnatal care
Children in overcrowded camps are also at higher risk of:
Malnutrition
Malaria
Respiratory infections
Diarrheal diseases
Vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles
Poor living conditions can allow infectious diseases to spread quickly, especially among children under five years old.
Access to clean water and proper sanitation remains a major challenge in many displacement camps.
When clean water and hygiene facilities are limited, communities face increased risk of:
Cholera
Typhoid fever
Diarrhea
Skin infections
Simple preventive measures such as handwashing, safe waste disposal, and clean drinking water become difficult in overcrowded environments.
Displacement often causes deep emotional stress. Many displaced persons have experienced:
Violence
Loss of loved ones
Destruction of homes
Financial hardship
Fear and uncertainty
These experiences can affect mental health and emotional well-being.
Common mental health concerns among displaced populations include:
Anxiety
Depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Sleep problems
Social withdrawal
Unfortunately, mental health services are still limited in many humanitarian settings, and stigma may prevent people from asking for help.
Even when healthcare services are available, many displaced families cannot afford the costs associated with treatment.
Expenses such as:
Transportation
Medications
Laboratory tests
Hospital admission fees
can become major obstacles for families who have lost their sources of income.
As a result, preventable illnesses may worsen before medical attention is sought.
Health education plays an important role in disease prevention, but many displaced communities have limited access to reliable health information.
People may lack guidance on:
Infection prevention
Medication use
Nutrition
Maternal health
Childcare practices
Mental health support
Community-based health education programs can help improve health outcomes and encourage early treatment-seeking behavior.
Healthcare challenges among displaced populations affect not only IDPs but also surrounding communities and the broader healthcare system.
When vaccination rates are low or infectious diseases spread in overcrowded settings, outbreaks can extend beyond camps and place additional pressure on local hospitals and clinics.
Improving healthcare access for vulnerable populations therefore benefits entire communities.
Addressing healthcare challenges among internally displaced populations requires long-term collaboration between government agencies, healthcare professionals, NGOs, local communities, and international partners.
Important areas of focus include:
Mobile clinics, outreach programmes, and better-equipped health centres can improve access to essential care.
Expanding immunisation services, nutrition programmes, antenatal care, and safe delivery services can help reduce preventable deaths.
Mental health and psychosocial services should be integrated into humanitarian healthcare programmes.
Access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education is critical for preventing disease outbreaks.
Health education programmes delivered in local languages can improve disease prevention and encourage healthier practices.
Partnerships between NGOs, healthcare workers, governments, and development organisations are essential for creating sustainable solutions.
Internally displaced populations in Nigeria continue to face serious healthcare challenges that affect their safety, dignity, and quality of life.
From limited medical services and poor sanitation to mental health struggles and financial hardship, displaced families often experience multiple barriers to care at the same time.
Improving healthcare access for vulnerable communities is not only a humanitarian responsibility; it is also an important step toward building stronger, healthier, and more resilient societies.
With coordinated action, inclusive policies, and sustained investment in community health systems, meaningful progress is possible.
Written and Published By
The Research & Development Department
SSHAI
