The Opoji Project

A Virtual Treatment and Learning Program

Urban Health 360’s intent is to bridge the divide between the science of urban health and the knowledge, awareness, and practice of health in urban poor communities.
Our signature project is a Virtual Treatment and Learning Program in the Esan Central local government area in the Edo Central senatorial district of Nigeria.
This project is a collaboration between Urban Health 360, World Telehealth Initiative, and Precious Gems Charity.

World Telehealth Initiative (WTI), Urban Health 360 (UH360), and Precious Gems Charity (PGC) formed a partnership to equip the Opoji Comprehensive Health Centre with access to the Teledoc network and virtual care devices to enable philanthropic medical support for clinicians and patients via telehealth.

A yellow building with a slanted roof, labeled as a primary health center, featuring arched entrances and greenery in the foreground.

WTI will place two devices in the community: one at the Opoji Comprehensive Health Centre and one at a primary health care provider with associated networks in and around Opoji. These devices are governed by the WTI-PGC-UH360 Partnership.

A modern two-story building with large windows, a sloped roof, and a landscaped entrance, surrounded by green grass.

Clinicians and students provide public health education on good hygiene practices and vector prevention and control to community members through awareness campaigns and clinics.

A group of people gathers around medical equipment at an outdoor event, showcasing healthcare technology and engagement.

The devices provide access to WTI’s Teledoc network and virtual care program and enable philanthropic medical support for clinicians and patients via telehealth.

A woman and a man in masks interact in a market setting, with several people seated around them and various items visible in the background.

Access to the Teladoc network and virtual care devices in Opoji is expected to make a difference for the health of the residents of Opoji and surrounding communities.

A group of people engaged in a discussion at a table, with one individual taking notes on paper.

Our partner, Precious Gems Charity, works with clinicians and community mobilizers on the ground to assess community engagement, mobilization, and health learning.

Precious Gems Community Outreach

for Collaborative Community Action

A woman wearing a colorful dress uses a megaphone while a man assists her, both wearing masks in a vibrant community setting.

A gathering of people under a tent, observing an event while seated, with a mix of traditional and modern attire.

Overview

UH360 utilizes country-level and state-level data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the UN-Habitat to describe the country and state-level health and population dynamics. Our partner, Precious Gems, has an active data collection process for assessing community-level disease patterns and changes in health outcomes. Through our Research Fellows, we will gather ethnographic data to assess community engagement and health learning. Treatment data generated through the Teladoc network will be combined with these data to assess change in treatment outcomes. Geospatial data collected by our Research Fellows will provide insights into the distances travelled by residents to receive treatment and care. These combined data will be used to engage community leaders and other stakeholders in solution building and the implementation of practical strategies for better health outcomes.

Access to the Teladoc network and virtual care devices in Opoji is expected to make a difference for the health of the residents of Opoji and surrounding communities.

Anticipated
Changes

The anticipated benefits include:

The provision of curative, preventive, and rehabilitative health services to the 13 communities that comprise Opoji Kingdom.
Management and care of patients even with limited facilities.
Use of the Teledoc network and virtual care devices will help build capacity of the local health care team and reduce brain drain and retain health care workers in the community.
The provision of health care services for the underprivileged whose burden of disease is often times considerably higher than their ability to access health care.
The provision of training opportunities for different categories of health care workers at Irrua Teaching Hospital – nurses, allied health workers, physicians in training, residents, and consultants.
Reduction of the need to refer complicated cases to faraway places – i.e., medical facilities in other parts of Nigeria and in other African countries. Such referrals often impose significant travel and financial burden on families and often result in unnecessary mortality.

Implementation,
Awareness &
Documentation

This treatment and learning program will have three key parts:

The Implementation and use of the devices for treatment, teaching, and capacity building.
Outreach and awareness campaigns for the of residents of Opoji Kingdom and key stakeholders in the Kingdom.
A process and outcome evaluation to demonstrate how the program is being effective.

Data Collection & Visualization

Community of Citizens

Accessibility to Care
Change in awareness of health issues
Distance traveled for care

Community of Care Providers

Change in training and accessibility to training
Frequency of use of the devices for diagnosis and treatment
Change in the quality of care

Community of Key Stakeholders and Municipal Leaders

Changes in community health
Needed changes in public health system
Shared accountability

Our Theory of Change

Implementation and Capacity Building

Implementation will comprise of the following important activities and measurement milestones:

Receipt of the devices
Accountability and care
Multi-user training and capacity building
Usage reporting to WTI

Community Engagement

Creation of a Community Board
Reception and commissioning process upon arrival and unveiling of the devices
Awareness and sensitization campaigns to engage and enlighten all community members and key stakeholders on the benefits of the device for the health of the community.
Stakeholder and key-person interviews and consultations to ensure adequate dissemination of information about the devices, including how they will be utilized and the benefits to the community.

Evaluation – Process & Outcome

Data collection & visualization
Reporting back to the Community

UH360 Fellows & Research Fellows

are pre- and post-doctoral researchers, thought leaders, on-the-ground implementers, municipal leaders, urban health doers, policy implementers who fulfill the following criteria:

They are committed to influencing the urban health of their community and communities around the world.
They are committed to researching, implementing, creating, and identifying opportunities for enhancing urban health.