I warmly welcome Dr Pavel Ursu, the new World Health Organization Representative and Head of Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria @WHONigeria, on the occasion of his assumption of office this week. His appointment comes at a moment of renewed purpose for Nigeria’s health sector, when the pursuit of universal, equitable, and sustainable care must be matched by principled leadership and enduring partnership among government, multilateral institutions, and civil society.

Having served with distinction across several WHO country offices and as Director of the Department of Delivery for Impact in Geneva, Dr Ursu brings both the depth of global experience and the sensitivity to national realities that this role demands. His career stands as a testament to evidence-based action, collaborative diplomacy, and measurable delivery for communities.

I am particularly encouraged by the priorities he has articulated, including sustainable health financing, strengthened primary health care, emergency preparedness, data and digital transformation, and the advancement of local manufacturing and innovation. These pillars are deeply relevant to Nigeria’s present health trajectory, and to the vision of a nation where every community has the capacity and confidence to drive its own wellbeing.

As the @WHOFoundation Global Health Ambassador and Founder-President of the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, a member of the @WHO Civil Society Commission, with a focus on empowering maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health through frontline midwifery, primary care, and community health promotion, I look forward to continued collaboration with Dr Ursu and the WHO Nigeria Country Office in advancing our shared vision of accountable and quality people-centred health for all.

#HealthForAll
#WellbeingForAll
#FrontlineFriday ...

Today, as we mark World Food Day and celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations @FAO, I reflect on how food security and nutrition define the course of human health and development, influencing the prosperity of nations, the stability of communities, and the wellbeing of generations yet to come.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 report reveals that 673 million people faced hunger last year, with billions more unable to access a healthy diet. Malnutrition in all its forms, undernutrition, hidden hunger, and overnutrition, remains one of the deepest inequities of our time. It weakens immunity, limits cognitive development, and perpetuates cycles of poverty and ill health. Micronutrient deficiencies, in particular, erode maternal health and heighten the risks of pregnancy and childbirth, while for newborns, they influence early survival, growth, and the ability to thrive from the very beginning.

At the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, through our #MamaCare360 programming and platform, we remain committed to advancing maternal and newborn nutrition as a tenet of health equity, encompassing micronutrient awareness, dietary counselling, and the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding as the earliest investments in human resilience. These are the pathways through which we can interrupt intergenerational cycles of deprivation and strengthen the foundations of national wellbeing. 

As @FAO enters its ninth decade, we are reminded that global progress depends upon collective stewardship across food systems, climate resilience, and health governance. A peaceful and thriving world begins with the assurance that every mother and child has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food.

Let this #WorldFoodDay be a call to feed the world with purpose and to nourish it with compassion, for better foods and a better future for all.

#FAO80
#ZeroHunger
#Breastfeeding
#Micronutrients
#ThriveThursday
#WellbeingForAll ...

Within my capacity as a @OneYoungWorld Counsellor, I was honoured to deliver a virtual goodwill message at the One Young World West & Central Africa @OneYoungWorld_MEA Summit Send-Off on Friday at @StanbicIBTC Towers in Lagos, to the inspiring delegates preparing to represent our region in Munich this November.

One Young World continues to exemplify how local leadership can ignite global transformation, uniting more than 18,700 Ambassadors whose collective efforts have touched over 58 million lives worldwide. This extraordinary community demonstrates that when purpose is guided by proximity, collaboration, and discipline, our impact knows no borders, bridging African innovation with global momentum.

To all the delegates embarking on this journey, lead from where you stand, think beyond boundaries, and let your clarity of purpose illuminate the world!

My appreciation to Stanbic IBTC for their partnership in nurturing leadership that builds locally and launches globally. 

#OYW2025 
#OneYoungWorld 
#WellbeingForAll ...

Today, as we observe Global Handwashing Day 2025, we are reminded that one of the simplest actions known to humankind remains one of the most powerful in protecting life. When we wash our hands with soap and clean water correctly, we prevent infection, safeguard mothers and newborns, reduce school absenteeism, and strengthen the very foundations of wellbeing for all.

This year’s theme, Be a Handwashing Hero!, calls each of us, from policymakers to practitioners, from households to health systems, to lead by example, and to recognise that the strength of public health lies in collective action.

At the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we are proud to stand within the global movement led by the Global Handwashing Partnership, guided by the World Health Organization @WHO, @UNICEF, and @UNESCO, advancing access, equity, and education in water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Through our WASH for Wellbeing Framework and our flagship Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Curriculum #PSHE #WASH, WBFA delivers evidence-based hygiene education and infection prevention across Nigeria’s schools, communities, and healthcare facilities.

Implemented with our social impact partners @ThisIsReckitt @ReckittNigeria under our #WBFA @DettolNigeria Hygiene Quest programming, we have reached over 442,000 individuals across Lagos State, Kwara State, and Abuja FCT, including 281,221 students, 113,234 pregnant and nursing mothers, and 47,926 community members, through 716 schools and 456 community hubs.

These efforts directly support the WHO WASH in Health Care Facilities standards and UNESCO’s WASH in Schools framework, ensuring that what a child learns in the classroom is reinforced at the clinic and within the home. Through these aligned interventions, we have strengthened infection prevention and control, improved menstrual hygiene and nutrition outcomes, and reduced preventable illness.

With clean hands, informed minds, and empowered communities, we can secure a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for every generation.

#WASHWednesday
#GlobalHandwashingDay #BeAHandwashingHero
#CleanNaija #WBFADHQ
#WellbeingForAll ...

I warmly congratulate Rt Hon @HelenClarkNZ, ONZ, on her unanimous appointment as the next Chair of the @GaviAlliance Board, commencing in January 2026. This appointment, following a rigorous eight-month global search that considered 240 candidates, comes at a defining moment for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as it prepares to launch its 2026–2030 strategy and implement the Gavi Leap transformation, deepening country ownership, strengthening accountability, and advancing equitable immunisation in fragile, conflict-affected, and underserved communities.

Helen Clark’s distinguished record of leadership, as the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme @UNDP, Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health @PMNCH_Insta @WHO, in which we have had the honour of collaborating together for years, and member of @TheElders_Org, exemplifies the rare combination of national governance, multilateral stewardship, and principled advocacy that global health now most requires.

I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to Professor José Manuel Barroso, former Prime Minister of Portugal and President of the European Commission, whose two-term tenure as Gavi Board Chair, 2021–2025, guided the Alliance through a period of extraordinary global challenge and change. Under his leadership, Gavi oversaw the delivery of more than 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, introduced new tools such as the malaria vaccine, and secured a successful replenishment that sustains Gavi’s next strategic phase.

At the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we recognise that vaccine equity lies at the core of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent wellbeing, and that strong primary health systems are essential to uphold it. As Gavi embarks on this new era of leadership, we look forward to continued collaboration to amplify African leadership, embed gender-responsive service delivery, and ensure that every woman, every child, every adolescent, and every community has access to life-saving vaccines.

📸: #PMNCH 23rd Board Meeting, The Hague July 2019 & @ConcordiaSummit, September 2023

#Gavi
#TeenageTuesday
#WellbeingForAll ...

Today, I am pleased to recognise ten years of @WomenInGH, a decade that has redefined how leadership, inclusion, and accountability are understood and advanced across global health!

Since 2015, I have had the privilege of supporting and engaging with Dr @RoopaDhatt and the founding leadership of Women in Global Health in advancing the conviction that health equity is inseparable from gender equity in decision-making. What began as a movement to redress systemic imbalance has evolved into a global framework for advocacy, linking over fifty national chapters, policy networks, and academic institutions to ensure that the women who deliver health also direct it.

Through my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, and in alignment with Women in Global Health Nigeria @WGHNigeria, I have seen firsthand how gender-responsive governance enhances the delivery, financing, and accountability of care. Established in 2020 and hosted by @PathfinderInt Nigeria Country Office, the #WGH Nigerian chapter aligns global principles with national priorities, strengthening inclusive leadership pathways, linking professional sectors, and contributing data-driven insight to the movement for Universal Health Coverage #UHC.

I commend Dr Roopa Dhatt, the global and national leadership teams, and every advocate whose dedication has shaped this first decade. I look forward to continuing our shared efforts in the years ahead to expand opportunity, strengthen inclusion, and uphold integrity across global health leadership.

#WGHat10 
#WGHNigeria 
#WomenInGlobalHealth
#MaternalMonday
#WellbeingForAll ...

As Honorary Global Patron of LifeLine International, I am deeply encouraged, on this #WorldMentalHealthDay, by the substantive progress being made across Nigeria to strengthen national mental health systems, advance evidence-based legislative reform, and expand equitable access to quality crisis-support services.

Following 2023 Launch of the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare`s National Suicide Prevention Framework and Technical Working Group inauguration, supported by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, and FMHSW CTC partner organisations, Nigeria is advancing a historic national effort to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention and psychosocial care, through the leadership of Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Africa Representative for LifeLine International, Board Member of the @AsidoFoundation, and the dedicated members of the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group #NSPAWG, a coalition of psychiatrists, mental health practitioners, legal experts, civil society organisations, and advocates.

The National Suicide Prevention and Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide Bill, sponsored by Distinguished Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Chair of the Senate Committee on NDDC and representing Cross River South, has passed its first reading in the Senate, marking a profound shift from punishment to compassion, from stigma to support. Significantly, the Bill has been translated into Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin English, ensuring that its purpose and protection reach communities across all regions.

With an estimated 16,000 suicide deaths recorded annually in Nigeria, predominantly among those aged 15 to 29 years, the legislation constitutes a strategic public-health reform, shifting national response from sanction to structured prevention and service delivery.

I commend Senator Ekpenyong, Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Professor Jibril Abdulmalik, and every member of the LifeLine International Nigeria network and coalition for their continued work and advocacy, as we continue to uphold the principle that there is no health without mental health.

#WMHD
#LifeLineInternational ...

On World Mental Health Day 2025, as Founder and President of @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, and Honorary Global Patron of LifeLine International, I stand with our global network of crisis helplines to reaffirm our shared commitment to ensuring that no one faces mental health challenges alone.

I remain deeply committed to expanding access to life-saving crisis support, particularly in regions where resources are limited and stigma remains an obstacle to seeking care. In too many communities, the simple act of reaching out for help can still be met with silence or shame, yet every person deserves dignity, compassion, and the assurance that help is always within reach.

This year’s @WHO theme, Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies, reminds us that the invisible wounds of trauma, displacement, and loss must be met with the same urgency and empathy as physical needs. Mental health care must never be an afterthought, it is an essential component of humanitarian response, rooted in community trust, cultural understanding, and the restoration of hope.

Within our @Commonwealth_Sec, we see inspiring examples of leadership that advance this mission. On behalf of LifeLine International, I am honoured to convey the commendation of our global network of national member associations and helpline partners to Their Royal Highnesses @PrinceandPrincessofWales, through The Royal Foundation, for the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Network across the United Kingdom.

At the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and LifeLine International, we remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthen mental health systems, reduce stigma, and extend crisis support to those most in need, ensuring that help is within reach for everyone, everywhere.

📞 If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to your local crisis helpline. Help is always available - https://lifeline-intl.findahelpline.com/

#WMHD2025
#WorldMentalHealthDay
#NoHealthWithoutMentalHealth
#WellbeingForAll
#FrontlineFriday ...

This #ThriveThursday, I am delighted to warmly commend the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu @OfficialOluremiTinubu, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare @FMOH_Nigeria, under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, for the historic national flag-off of one of the country’s largest-ever vaccination campaigns, protecting more than 106 million children against measles, rubella, and polio.

This initiative, implemented with the invaluable partnership of @WHONigeria and the World Health Organization @WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance @GaviAlliance, the @GatesFoundation, @UNICEF @UNICEF_Nigeria, the European Union in Nigeria @EUinNigeria, and UK Aid via the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office @ForeignAndDevelopmentOffice, represents a decisive step towards safeguarding every child’s right to health and wellbeing. It exemplifies the power of collaboration in delivering equitable, life-saving immunisation services to the most vulnerable populations across our nation.

As the @WHOFoundation Inaugural Ambassador for Global Health, Special Adviser to the Independent Advisory Group of the WHO Regional Office for Africa @WHO_Africa, and in my capacity as Founder-President of the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, I celebrate this defining moment for public health in Nigeria. I extend my appreciation to every frontline health worker, our midwives, nurses, and community mobilisers, whose compassion, courage, and commitment continue to transform policy into protection and promise into progress.

This campaign is a testament to Nigeria’s determination to leave no one behind in the pursuit of universal health coverage #UHC. I stand united with #WBFA and partners in advancing the wellbeing of every mother, every child, and every community.

#LeaveNoOneBehind
#MRPolioVaccinationCampaign
#ImmunisationForAll
#WellbeingForAll ...

As we mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month under the @WHO’s theme Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters, I am honoured to spotlight the newly released Devex feature, “New Index Aims to Help Countries Close Breast Cancer Care Gaps,” following my conversation with Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba during the 80th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

The feature introduces the Breast Cancer Care Quality Index, a data-driven framework that enables governments to turn commitment into measurable reform. Convened by @AstraZeneca with clinicians, policymakers, and advocates, the Index provides a unified set of indicators spanning early detection, timely diagnosis, comprehensive management, and resilient system performance. It offers a shared language for accountability, aligning policy, financing, and delivery to expose inequities and guide investment.

True equity in women’s cancer care requires coherence between evidence, leadership, and implementation. The #BCCQI represents that alignment, where political will meets operational capacity, and progress is demonstrated through measurable standards of care.

Through the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we are advancing this approach in Nigeria by embedding breast health education, patient navigation, and system strengthening into maternal and community health programmes, aligned with the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative and the Breast Cancer Care Quality Index. Our mission remains clear, that every woman’s journey leads to timely care, effective treatment, and survival.

@Policy.Wisdom
#UNGA80
#CancerCareEquity
#EveryStoryIsUnique
#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth
#WellbeingForAll ...

Following yesterday’s inaugural World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day, I welcome the historic World Health Organization @WHO, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics @FIGO_HQ and International Confederation of Midwives #ICM @World_Midwives Consolidated Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage and the declaration of 5 October as #WorldPPHDay with @UNICEF and @UNFPA, announced during the President’s Session at the XXV FIGO World Congress in Cape Town.

Representing the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation and the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development #WAIRD, Zelia Bukhari, Director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy at The Toyin Saraki Global Policy & Philanthropy Office, joined global leaders and partners in advancing the shared commitment to end preventable maternal deaths from #PPH.

Chaired by Professor Anne-Beatrice Kihara, President of FIGO, and featuring Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE, Chief Midwife of the ICM, and Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and Head of HRP at WHO, the session highlighted a unified global resolve to translate evidence into action.

The new WHO–FIGO–ICM Guidelines integrate 51 evidence-based recommendations on prevention, diagnosis, management and care. Drawn from the largest meta-analysis of maternal health data to date, covering more than 300,000 women across 23 countries, the guidelines redefine diagnostic thresholds and standardise early interventions through the MOTIVE bundle of uterine massage, oxytocics, tranexamic acid, intravenous fluids, examination and escalation of care.

#WBFA, through its Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care and maternal health programming, will advance the application of these guidelines across Sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening systems of care and advancing the ultimate global goal of eliminating preventable maternal mortality by 2030.

#WorldPPHDay
#EndPPH
#FIGO2025
#SafeMotherhood
#WellbeingForAll
#MaternalMonday ...