Caring for the sexual and reproductive health and rights needs of the internally displaced persons is one challenge that is difficult to surmount in the face of environmental issues facing the IDPs in their camps in Abuja, Nigeria. PPFN is at the forefront of the organizations catering to the reproductive health and rights and personal needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in three camps in Abuja.

In February 2015, PPFN visited the three IDP camps to assess how to provide the SRH and other needs of the IDPs. Their discovery was most shocking and called for a change of strategy towards meeting their needs. Faced with the overwhelming needs of the IDPs, and being mindful of the tight budget and finances available to PPFN, they reached a decision to, in the interim, cater to the needs of the pregnant women in the camps.

A census was carried out and 31 pregnant persons were identified. PPFN decided to cater to their needs from then on until they delivered their babies. This, they have been doing since then. Because of the distance of the camps from the PPFN’s Abuja clinic located at Gidan Sulaiman, 4, Baltic Crescent, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, it was agreed that it was not feasible to register the pregnant IDPs for antenatal at that clinic.

An understanding was reached with a Police Clinic that was not far from the camp where the pregnant IDPs were registered by PPFN at their own cost. A further agreement was reached with the clinic that all costs of delivery and antenatal, including drugs, were to be borne by PPFN. They were, therefore, requested to treat the women and PPFN will reimburse the costs. Some of the women have delivered safely. One lost her baby due to complications whose name I have forgotten at this time.