MSF hands over Cross River health project after 3 years
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has concluded its three-year health intervention project in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, handing over operations of two primary health care centres to the state Ministry of Health after providing free medical services to thousands of residents. The project, launched in May 2022 in Akor and Old Ndibeji […]
MSF Midwife supervisor, Queenete, administers fluid to a patient at the primary healthcare supported by MSF at Akor community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River state.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has concluded its three-year health intervention project in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, handing over operations of two primary health care centres to the state Ministry of Health after providing free medical services to thousands of residents.
The project, launched in May 2022 in Akor and Old Ndibeji communities near the Nigeria–Cameroon border, was implemented in collaboration with the Cross River State Ministry of Health to improve access to healthcare in the remote communities where medical services were previously limited.
MSF formally ended the programme in September 2025 after donating medical supplies and transferring operations to the state government.
During the project’s lifespan, MSF teams conducted more than 73,000 outpatient consultations and admitted over 8,000 patients for observation before referring them to higher-level facilities in Calabar for further treatment.
The organisation also supported 2,123 deliveries, provided 3,887 antenatal consultations and conducted 5,776 family planning sessions. In addition, 9,303 vaccinations were administered.
Malaria was recorded as the leading cause of illness among patients treated under the programme, with nearly 30,000 cases managed. Other common conditions included respiratory infections, injuries and typhoid fever.
Residents of the communities said the presence of the humanitarian organisation significantly improved access to healthcare services.
Achifone Felix, a resident receiving treatment for hypertension, said the support helped many people survive.
“MSF has helped me survive. I am a patient with high blood pressure and when I came here during my retirement, MSF attended to me and provided free medication. Without their support, many of us would not be alive today,” he said.
In addition to providing medical services, the organisation also trained local health workers to strengthen the sustainability of healthcare delivery in the area.
Owen Helen, a nurse with the Ministry of Health who worked with the MSF team, said the programme helped improve the skills of local medical personnel.
“When I finished school, I had no experience in patient consultation, but after spending three years with MSF I gained the skills to manage patients confidently and perform procedures such as circumcision and family planning services,” she said.
The project also provided basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services for pregnant women and newborns. MSF teams managed an average of 54 deliveries monthly and referred between 20 and 40 complicated pregnancy cases to tertiary hospitals in Calabar.
Due to poor road conditions, particularly during the rainy season, the journey to Calabar could take between eight and 12 hours.
The organisation said it covered the costs of referrals, including transportation, medical bills and feeding for patients.
A resident of Old Ndibeji, Alhaji Abdulwahab Achigi, recalled how MSF staff stabilised his uncle during a medical emergency before referring him to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
“My uncle fell seriously ill in the middle of the night and we rushed him to the MSF facility here in Old Ndibeji. The nurses worked tirelessly to stabilise him and he was admitted free of charge before they later arranged his transfer to Calabar,” he said.
The project also adopted a community health approach, reaching 17 communities through house-to-house health promotion, referral services and follow-up care.
MSF Project Coordinator Meria Nadje said the intervention helped address critical health gaps in the area.
“When we started in 2022, people had to travel for hours to access basic care. Looking back at the thousands of consultations, deliveries and lives saved, it is clear the project made a real difference,” she said.