In the departments of Nariño and Chocó, MSF has been implementing a decentralised model of care, aiming to make healthcare more accessible by bringing it closer to people’s homes.

In Nariño, MSF worked with a team of community health workers and local organisations to provide general and mental health care to communities affected by armed conflict in rural areas of the Telembí triangle sub-region (Barbacoas, Roberto Payán and Magüí Payán). We also supported people who had been displaced by continued armed conflicts by distributing relief items, such as hygiene and cooking kits, and offering healthcare through mobile clinics, as well as water and sanitation activities.

In 2022, we launched a new project in the Alto Baudó region in Chocó, where there were repeated clashes between armed groups, severely limiting access to healthcare, food and education for rural communities. Over the course of the year, we made hundreds of medical referrals and conducted training sessions with community health workers from remote villages in the region who work to facilitate access to health services for their communities.

In our emergency response project, we supported communities affected by the armed conflict in Chocó, Cauca and Arauca, mainly in areas where there is no humanitarian assistance. We sent mobile clinics to provide medical care and mental health support, as well as water and sanitation services.

MSF continues to call on the authorities to make healthcare more available in remote areas of Colombia, especially for communities displaced or confined by violence.