In Dasenech, Healthcare Moves with the People — Even Through Flood and Displacement

In Ethiopia’s remote Dasenech Woreda, along the shores of Lake Turkana, life has always been defined by movement. For generations, pastoralist communities have followed the rhythm of the seasons, migrating with their herds across vast landscapes. But climate change is disrupting this age-old way of life.

Unpredictable, severe flooding has displaced hundreds of families, destroying homes, grazing land, and health infrastructure. Of the 16 health facilities in Dasenech, only seven remain operational. Roads have been washed away, isolating health workers and cutting off access to essential care. As communities scatter across more than a dozen makeshift displacement sites, preventable diseases like cholera and diarrhea are spreading. Malnutrition is worsening. Pregnant women, children, and those with chronic conditions bear the brunt of the crisis.

In response, the Dasenech Woreda Health Office, with support from Amref Health Africa through the Improve Primary Health Care Service Delivery (IPHCSD) project, launched an innovative mobile health initiative to ensure care reaches those who need it most.

Five mobile Primary Health Care Unit (PHCU) teams now travel, by boat or vehicle, across the flood-prone terrain to deliver services twice a month in 10 different mobile outreach sites. Each team includes nurses, midwives, health officers, and Health Extension Workers who provide vaccinations, antenatal care, malaria testing, and nutritional support.

 Between July 2023 and December 2024 alone, these mobile units delivered over 86,400 essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition services to displaced communities. For many, it was the first time healthcare had ever reached them at home.

“This is the first time I received antenatal care in my village. I didn’t need to travel far,” shared one expectant mother. Another added, “My siblings got their vaccines. It means a lot to us.”

Despite the immense logistical and environmental challenges, the mobile teams have become lifelines in the region. Community elders speak of the transformation:

“Before, people died from small illnesses. Now, the health team comes with medicine and knowledge.”

As flooding and displacement continue to threaten lives, one truth remains: in Dasenech, healthcare doesn’t wait, it moves with the people. Because even in the most isolated corners of crisis, access to care should never be out of reach.