Equitable Medicaid and Clinical Research was founded by Joy Ojochogwu Etubi, with Ugbede-Ojo Dominic Kadiri as the Co-founder. The organization was created in response to visible gaps in healthcare access faced by low-income families and rural communities. Both founders have worked with communities where people struggle to receive timely medical care due to cost, distance, and limited health facilities.

The idea to establish the organization grew from repeated encounters with preventable illness, late diagnosis, and limited participation of underserved populations in medical research. These experiences showed the need for a structured organization that could support access to primary healthcare while also promoting ethical clinical research that reflects the needs of communities that are too frequently left out of health systems.

The organization operates mainly in Nigeria, with a strong focus on rural and underserved communities. Activities are carried out in locations where access to healthcare services is limited and where health outcomes are affected by financial and geographic barriers. Some projects may have broader relevance beyond specific locations, depending on funding and program design. All activities are planned with attention to local conditions, available resources, and community priorities to support effective implementation.

Our work spans a wide range of health and humanitarian areas. These include primary clinical research; maternal and child health; tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB); training and capacity building; sexual and reproductive health; cancer care and prevention; laboratory services; neglected tropical diseases; health supply chain management; mental health; malaria control; health system financing; sexual and gender-based violence; emergency response and disaster relief; food security and nutrition; and migration and displacement, among others.

Each program area is designed to respond to identified health needs within underserved populations, with attention to access, ethics, and quality of care. Activities vary by location and available resources, and programs may run independently or alongside other health services to support continuity of care.

For a full and up-to-date list of our program areas, please click here: https://emecr.org/program-areas/

Funding comes from donations, grants, and support from individuals and institutions. These funds support healthcare activities, research projects, community education, and operational costs linked to program delivery. Funding availability determines the scale and duration of projects.