Al-Ubor is a neglected and densely populated corner in Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, where years of inadequate access to public services have made people more vulnerable and susceptible to illnesses and other health conditions.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are providing much-needed health care at Al-Ubor Health Center, which opened in 2023 and has since been a lifeline for the area’s estimated 30,000 residents.
“We’ve been coming here for two years for mental health, family planning, everything,” says Basha’er Ahmed, a patient at the center. “My husband has a spinal cord injury and can’t work. The services here are free. My neighbors told me about the center. We walk half an hour to get here.”
Al-Ubor Health Center helps to bridge critical gaps by offering essential care to families who might otherwise go without. For many in the area, this center is one of the few places they can access vital care without financial constraints.
In addition to health care access, the residents of Al-Ubor face the daily challenges of pollution, limited mobility, and the effects of being largely overlooked in public services. “There are no clinics or schools, and kids walk far to attend class,” Basha’er explains.
“Water comes every five days,” she adds. “We’ve seen cases of scabies spread quickly because there’s no sanitation.”
Practical solutions to meet urgent needs
"Before MSF’s intervention, many residents struggled to reach healthcare due to distance, lack of transportation, unpaved roads, and the absence of local facilities," says Israa Al-Hassan, the MSF health promotion supervisor. "In emergencies, delays and obstacles—even at checkpoints—could have life-threatening consequences.”
Among other services, Al-Ubor Health Center provides care to children and adolescents—girls aged six months to 19 years and boys up to 14—offering general consultations and firstline care. For severe cases, an ambulance is available to transfer patients to other health centers in Mosul. Medicines are provided on-site when in stock, and when unavailable, the MSF team ensures families are guided to alternatives.
Reaching the unvaccinated
In response to community needs, Al-Ubor Health Center launched a child vaccination program in April 2025 in partnership with Nineveh Directorate of Health. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, between 10 to 40 children are vaccinated, many of whom missed their early doses due to long distances, financial constraints, or distrust in vaccine handling. In just under three months, 764 vaccines were administered, including 240 in June alone. Vaccines are available for tuberculosis (TB), measles, smallpox, polio, and whooping cough.
“My husband and I live with my in-laws; we come here because it’s free,” says Doha Ghazi, a 19-year-old mother from Al-Ubor, as she waits to vaccinate her child.
“My older daughter was vaccinated here too,” explains Shaza Youssef, a young mother of two, while holding her 20-day-old baby. “That’s why I brought the new baby.”
Support through pregnancy and beyond
The demand for care is not limited to basic illnesses. Families come to Al-Ubor Health Center for wide range of maternal and reproductive health services. This includes family planning services and essential care for women throughout pregnancy and after childbirth, including ultrasounds, infection testing, tetanus vaccinations, and routine monitoring. Women also receive follow-up care for up to 40 days postpartum to support their recovery and well-being.
Other family planning services include intrauterine devices (IUD) and contraceptive implants for women who otherwise might have no access to such options, with priority given to those with medical needs. While deliveries are not conducted at the center, MSF’s medical team ensures that pregnant women are referred to appropriate facilities in Mosul—such as the Nablus Hospital, where MSF continues to provide care, or other available options—while also ensuring continuity of care throughout their journey.
Raising awareness about mental health and other needs
MSF’s mental health team delivers psychosocial support to the patients at the health center, while our health promotion team raises awareness about mental health, dealing with puberty, hygiene, infectious diseases, and chronic issues like antimicrobial resistance, often worsened by unregulated use of antibiotics in underserved communities.
Al-Hassan recalls cases where mothers relied on unqualified neighborhood nurses, leading to the misuse of antibiotics and worsening illness. Today, with MSF’s services and numerous awareness sessions, residents can access faster, higher-quality care, and the misuse of antibiotics has significantly declined.
A healthier future
In a setting where public health services are scarce, Al-Ubor Health Center has become a trusted space, where children are vaccinated, mothers are supported, mental health is acknowledged, and community voices are heard.
"Since we started working in Al-Ubor, we’ve seen healthier mothers and babies, better livelihoods, and a stronger sense of hope,” says Pacific Oriato, MSF's midwife activity manager. “People receive free, quality care without barriers, and the community feels safer and more confident about the future."
