Al-Ubor Health Center: A lifeline for underserved communities in west Mosul, Iraq
AL-UBOR, MOSUL – In a corner of west Mosul in Iraq, an area often overlooked by public services, Al-Ubor health center stands as a vital sanctuary for families seeking access to essential healthcare. Since its opening in July 2023, the center has been a lifeline for many in Al-Ubor, where approximately 30,000 people that face challenges in accessing healthcare.
“We’ve been coming here for two years for mental health, family planning, everything,” says Basha’er Ahmed, a longtime patient from the neighborhood. “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.”
A critical lifeline in a neglected area
Al-Ubor is a densely populated and underserved area in west Mosul, where residents face daily challenges due to pollution, limited mobility, and a severe lack of public services—including access to affordable healthcare. Limited access to other public health services and other constraints in people’s lives make the population of Al-Ubor vulnerable and susceptible to illnesses and certain health conditions. “In Al-Ubor, water comes every five days,” adds Basha’er. “There are no clinics or schools, and kids walk far to attend class. We’ve seen cases of scabies spread quickly because there’s no sanitation.”
In this context, Al-Ubor health center helps bridge a critical gap, 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 essential care without financial constraints.
Meeting urgent needs with practical solutions
Al-Ubor health center caters to children and adolescents, girls aged six months to 19 years and boys up to 14, offering general consultations and first-line care. For severe cases, an ambulance is available to transfer patients to other health centers in the city. Medicines are provided on-site when in stock, and when unavailable, the MSF team ensures families are guided to alternatives.
The demand for care is not limited to basic illnesses. Families come here as well for a wider range of maternal and reproductive health services.
Israa Al-Hassan, the MSF health promotion supervisor, explains that “before MSF’s intervention, many residents struggled to reach healthcare due to distance, lack of transportation, unpaved roads, and the absence of local facilities. In emergencies, delays and obstacles—even at checkpoints—could have life-threatening consequence.”
Reaching the unvaccinated
“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.
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 travel distances, financial constraints, or distrust in vaccine handling. In just under three months, 764 vaccines were administered, including 240 in June alone. The vaccines protect against tuberculosis, measles, smallpox, polio, and whooping cough.
“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
Without this center, people wouldn’t have access to care — and that includes family planning services among other health services. The center also provides 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.
Mental health and Awareness Building
Beyond physical care, MSF’s 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 poor communities. In addition to that, the MSF mental health team delivers psychosocial support to the patients there.
Al-Hassan recalled cases where mothers relied on unqualified neighborhood nurses, leading to misuse of antibiotics and worsening illness. Today, with MSF’s services and the numerous awareness sessions that
the teams are doing, residents can access faster, higher-quality care, and misuse of antibiotics has significantly declined.
Looking Ahead
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. People receive free, quality care without barriers, and the community feels safer and more confident about the future,” concludes Pacific Oriato, the MSF midwives activity manage