Better health depends on more than access to a facility
THE CHALLENGE
Where this work begins
Access to healthcare is shaped by more than whether a facility exists. People need services that respond to their realities, communities that can demand better care, and decision-makers who have the evidence and resources to act.
Our health work brings these pieces together. We work with communities, young people, health actors, and government institutions to strengthen access to quality healthcare, improve community participation, and support policies and investments that respond to people’s needs.
OUR MODELS HERE
How we respond
The Community Learning Model
Peer facilitators create safe, trusted spaces where women, girls, and young people can ask questions about health, rights, and protection that they might never raise in a clinic or a classroom.
Systems Accountability Model
Applied to health here, this model strengthens the link between community reported health data and the public resourcing decisions built on top of it, so local realities inform how services are planned.
Impact Spotlight
Primary healthcare centres supported through community-driven advocacy
WASH facilities supported across communities in Kano
Government commitment secured for family planning services in Kano State
FROM THE FIELD
When community priorities reach the budget
Through the Empowering Evidence Driven Advocacy project, BCAI worked with communities and policymakers to strengthen advocacy for family planning and improve financing for services. The work contributed to a commitment by the Kano State Government to release and utilise ₦10 million for family planning.
We saw how community voices, evidence, and policy engagement can move a health issue from conversation to government investment.
OUR PROJECTS
Age of Access Project
Supported By:
In Northwestern Nigeria, age-of-consent requirements and other policy and social barriers can make it difficult for adolescents to access HIV testing. As the North-West Regional Partner for Age of Access, BCAI brought together health authorities, youth groups, civil society, and traditional and religious leaders from seven states to build support for policy reform. More than 30 stakeholders committed to advancing adolescent-friendly HIV testing policies and strengthening community awareness and referral pathways.
Youth Leading HIV Awareness Campaign (YOLHAC) Project
Supported By:
Adolescents and young people across Nigeria face barriers to accurate HIV information, testing, and care. YOLHAC selected and trained 30 young people from 639 applicants across the six geopolitical zones as HIV champions, equipping them to lead digital advocacy and connect their peers to reliable information and services. The programme recorded an 85% improvement in HIV knowledge and advocacy skills and developed a youth-friendly online platform with an AI chatbot and HIV testing facility mapping across 12 states.
Good health is also shaped by the conditions people live in. See how our work in Environmental Sustainability addresses some of those conditions.
