"Women must take part in creating policies and legislation that reflect the society they want to live in"
Toyin Ojora Saraki
A brief introduction
As Founder-President of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki is a global advocate for women’s and children’s health and empowerment, with two decades of advocacy covering reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; ending gender-based discrimination and violence; and improving education, socio-economic empowerment, and community livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mrs Saraki is the Emeritus Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM); special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), was named by Devex as UHC Global Champion, is the Save the Children Newborn Health Champion for Nigeria; and is a Global Champion for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
IN FOCUS FROM October 8th, 2025
This week at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) World Congress 2025 in Cape Town, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa presented research from the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development on strengthening cervical cancer prevention through community-driven maternal health systems. Representing the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development (WAIRD), Zelia Bukhari, […]
IN FOCUS FROM October 6th, 2025
On World Cerebral Palsy Day, I stood with a global movement for and by the 50 million people living with cerebral palsy, their families and supporters, celebrating what makes each person unique while uniting for inclusion, access and dignity. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa joined the Kwara State Ministry of Social Development and the Ifeoluwa […]
IN FOCUS FROM October 5th, 2025
Following yesterday’s inaugural World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day, I welcome the historic World Health Organization, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Consolidated Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage and the declaration of 5 October as World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day with UNICEF and UNFPA, announced during the President’s Session at the […]
The e-health check tool is available for free at https://covid19.wbfafrica.org/ and users can access real-time updates on how to stay connected, safe, and healthy during the pandemic on Instagram and Twitter @Wellbeing_PPMD, and @WellbeingPPMD on Facebook.
Speeches Section
SPEECH FROM October 7th, 2025
Foreword by H.E. Toyin Saraki As we mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month under the World Health Organization’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 […]
SPEECH FROM August 12th, 2025
H.E. Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki Recognised as One Young World Counsellor. For Immediate Release – 12 August 2025 Today, on United Nations International Youth Day, the global community reflects on the indispensable role of young people in driving the Sustainable Development Goals through innovative, community-led solutions. Exemplifying this commitment, Her Excellency Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki, […]
SPEECH FROM August 8th, 2025
Celebrating a Defining Achievement in Strengthening Nigeria’s Maternal and Newborn Health Workforce Abuja, Nigeria – 1 August 2025 Last week in Abuja, Her Excellency Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki, Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and global advocate for maternal, newborn, and child health, delivered a keynote goodwill address at the high-level Dissemination Meeting of the […]
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
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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
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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
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Across Nigeria today, the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation commemorated Global Handwashing Day 2025 under the theme Be A Handwashing Hero!, through coordinated #WBFA @DettolNigeria Hygiene Quest activations in schools, health facilities, and community settings, supported by our social impact partners @ThisIsReckitt @ReckittNigeria. These engagements reflect our continued investment in behaviour-centred hygiene education, local leadership, and health system strengthening.
Within our programming across Lagos State, Kwara State and Abuja FCT, the #WBFADHQ Ambassadors, Sanitation Angels, midwives, nurse educators, community health advocates, pupils, and teachers empowered through our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education #PSHE Water, Sanitation and Hygiene #WASH Curriculum serve as peer educators and role models, advancing the daily practice of handwashing as a pillar of wellbeing. By linking school-based learning to family, community, and clinical environments, we are able to bridge the critical gap between knowledge and sustained behaviour, ensuring that the principles of hygiene, infection prevention, and dignity are upheld across every aspect of life, and embedding the culture of prevention at the core of maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and community health.
Through todays #GHD2025 activations, WBFA continues to demonstrate that effective health promotion requires alignment between curriculum, community, and clinical practice. When hygiene is taught early, reinforced often, and supported institutionally, it becomes the foundation of resilient public health.
#GlobalHandwashingDay
#BeAHandwashingHero
#CleanNaija
#SanitationAngels
#HygieneAmbassadors
#WASHWednesday
#WellbeingForAll
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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
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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
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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
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On this @UnitedNations International Day of the Girl Child, themed The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead, we celebrate girls’ courage to transform crises into change, and reaffirm our @WellbeingAfrica commitment to ensuring that every girl in every classroom and community has the tools, voice, and dignity to fulfil her potential.
Across Nigeria, our #IDG2025 #WBFA activations have marked the Day through purposeful school and community engagements advancing confidence, leadership, and health education among adolescent girls. These initiatives continue to strengthen our commitment to fostering equitable opportunities for girls to learn, lead, and thrive.
Through our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education #PSHE and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene #WASH programming across schools, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa equips girls and boys as #HeForShe allies with life-saving knowledge, from health and hygiene to self-leadership and confidence, through our participatory Skills and Drills curriculum.
These actions are anchored in our Women, Girls and Gender Development Targets #WGGDT Strategy, guided by the Girl Declaration, the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council’s Recommendations, and the Nairobi Statement on #ICPD25, safeguarding the amplification of women’s and girls’ voices across every policy, partnership, and programme.
To round up our nationwide International Day of the Girl Child commemorations, we joined partners @SheForumAfrica, @PathfinderInt, the Embassy of Finland in Abuja @FinlandinNigeria, and @YouthSpaceAfrica for the IDG2025 Adolescents’ Town Hall and Mentorship Day, honouring resilience and leadership through dialogue, mentorship, and menstrual-health education.
As the new Girl Goals: What Has Changed for Girls? report by @UNICEF, @UNWomen and @PlanInternational reminds us, 122 million girls remain out of school worldwide, a call to action for all of us to make certain that girls’ rights are realised not in promise, but in practice.
#InternationalDayOfTheGirl
#TheGirlIAmTheChangeILead
#WellbeingForAll
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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
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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
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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
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This week at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics @FIGO_HQ World Congress 2025 in Cape Town, the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation presented research from the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development on strengthening cervical cancer prevention through community-driven maternal health systems.
Representing #WBFA and #WAIRD, Zelia Bukhari, Director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy at The Toyin Saraki Global Policy and Philanthropy Office, researched and delivered the abstract Policy and Community-Driven Maternal Health and Cervical Cancer Prevention Initiatives in Nigeria.
The presentation demonstrated how WBFA’s #MamaCare360 midwife-led education and care platform has evolved into a trusted national mechanism for accelerating HPV vaccination uptake by embedding adolescent prevention within maternal health engagement and fostering intergenerational protection.
Alongside the oral presentation, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s e-poster, Midwives as Catalysts: How a Community-Based Antenatal Education Model Drove HPV Vaccine Uptake in Nigeria, is also on display in the FIGO 2025 Exhibition Hall. The poster invites delegates to explore and engage with WBFA’s MamaCare360, demonstrating the impact of community-trusted maternal health systems.
As trusted caregivers, WBFA midwives played a pivotal role in vaccine delivery and community acceptance, explaining the HPV vaccine in accessible localised terms, addressing maternal concerns, and supporting mothers to consent to and complete their daughters’ vaccination. Alongside this, midwives also reinforced the continuum of care by guiding mothers toward routine Pap smear screening, linking prevention efforts across the household.
This integrated approach shows how frontline-anchored delivery systems can achieve population-level impact, strengthen health literacy, and sustain behavioural change. By connecting maternal engagement with adolescent immunisation, the model demonstrates that a vaccinated generation of girls may reduce their lifetime risk of cervical cancer by up to 90%, contributing meaningfully to the @WHO 90–70–90 elimination targets.
#FIGO2025
#WellbeingForAll
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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
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On Saturday 4th October in South Africa, the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation participated in the @FIGO_HQ 2025 Pre-Congress Workshop on Integrating Mental Healthcare into Maternal and Child Health Services, convened by the @University_of_Cape_Town’s Perinatal Mental Health Project. The session, chaired by Dr Simone Honikman, highlighted the global imperative of embedding mental health within routine maternal and child health systems, positioning emotional wellbeing as a foundational component of comprehensive, high-quality care.
Representing #WBFA and the Wellbeing Africa Institute for Research and Development, Zelia Bukhari, Director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy at The Toyin Saraki Global Policy & Philanthropy Office, presented the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s validated Postpartum Mental Health Checklist.
A practical tool integrated within the Nigerian national Maternal and Child Health #MCH Handbook to systematically screen and support women for psychological distress and mood disorders following childbirth, this checklist is strengthening the continuum of care from pregnancy through the postnatal period, ensuring that no mother’s emotional health is overlooked.
Drawing upon @WHO’s 2022 Guide for Integrating Perinatal Mental Health into Maternal and Child Health Services and the Perinatal Mental Health Project’s model of task-sharing, routine screening, and holistic referral pathways, the workshop showcased the transformative potential of system-wide integration.
Looking ahead, #WAIRD will continue to engage with the #UCT and regional partners to explore collaborative avenues for advancing emotional wellbeing indicators across continental maternal health policy dialogues.
#FIGO2025 #PerinatalMentalHealth
#EveryMotherCounts
#WellbeingForAll
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On World Cerebral Palsy Day yesterday, I stand with a global movement for and by the 50 million people living with cerebral palsy, their families and supporters, celebrating what makes each person unique while uniting for inclusion, access and dignity.
Yesterday, my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation joined the Kwara State Ministry of Social Development and the @IfeoluwaCPInitiative for an awareness walk and technical engagement on this year’s theme, Unique and United, where our Chief Programmes Manager presented WBFA’s capacity-building approach to reducing cerebral palsy linked to severe neonatal jaundice through better screening, timely treatment and family education. The voices heard throughout were powerful, from a mother’s testimony of preventable harm to a clinician’s lived experience, and they strengthened the call for WBFA to extend our Project Oscar — Light for Life, a Neonatal Jaundice Screening, Treatment, and Kernicterus Prevention Programme, to Kwara State.
Preventable perinatal risks still drive too many cases of cerebral palsy in low- and middle-income settings, including Nigeria, where severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia and kernicterus remain significant yet avoidable contributors. Early detection and effective phototherapy save lives and protect neurodevelopment, and WBFA will continue on our mission to equip facilities with bilirubinometers and phototherapy units, train frontline health workers, and empower mothers to recognise danger signs, through the support of our social impact partners @ThisIsReckitt.
At the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that no child’s potential is diminished by conditions that knowledge and compassion can prevent. We are unique in our stories, and united in our resolve.
#WorldCPDay
#UniqueAndUnited
#ProjectOscar
#LightForLife
#WellbeingForAll
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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
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Celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2025: Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession
Today, on @UNESCO #WorldTeachersDay, I honour the extraordinary educators who inspire, guide, and shape generations. Under this year’s theme, “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” I celebrate the vital role teachers play as transmitters of knowledge and co-creators of healthier, more resilient communities.
At my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we believe that collaboration between educators and health professionals is essential to improving children’s wellbeing. This vision comes alive through the #WBFA-@DettolNigeria Hygiene Quest Programme, supported by our social impact partners @ThisIsReckitt @ReckittNigeria, which integrates #PSHE and #WASH education into school curricula across Kwara State, Lagos State, and the FCT Abuja.
In 2024 alone, the #DHQ Programme reached an impressive 238,235 beneficiaries, including 170,439 students, 42,998 pregnant and lactating mothers, and 24,800 community members, a testament to the power of collaboration between teachers, health educators, and communities.
By empowering teachers as hygiene champions, WBFA equips classrooms with the tools to prevent infections, promote sanitation, and cultivate lifelong habits of health and dignity. Our teachers become frontline advocates, instilling essential WASH knowledge that protects families, strengthens school systems, and drives community behavioural change.
Through practical, play-based learning, children not only grasp the science of hygiene but also carry these lessons home, extending the impact of teaching beyond school walls. This model of teacher-led health promotion exemplifies what it means to recast teaching as a truly collaborative profession, where educators, parents, and community health workers work hand in hand for sustainable development.
As we celebrate today, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting and uplifting teachers, the heart of change and the foundation of a healthier, more equitable future for all.
#WorldTeachersDay
#RecastingTeaching
#EducationForAll
#WellbeingForAll
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I extend my warmest congratulations to The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE on her historic appointment as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury-Designate, and the first woman to lead the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
From the hospital ward to the altar, Dame Sarah’s vocation embodies the harmony of healing and faith. Her commitment to nursing and midwifery as a former Chief Nursing Officer to the United Kingdom NHS reflects antecedents of compassionate leadership that strengthens families, supports safe motherhood, and advances the wellbeing of communities.
At the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation, we share this belief, that faith expressed through care holds the power to transform lives. May her ministry continue to inspire all who serve in health and faith to uphold the dignity, care, and wellbeing of every life entrusted to them.
#GratefulForHisGrace
#BBC100Women
#FaithInAction
#WomenInLeadership
#NursingLeadership
#MidwiferyMatters
#WellbeingForAll
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From UNGA’s halls of global advocacy to calm moments of faithful worship and fresh air, with songs of praise for the grace that bridges every step.
Reflecting with gratitude on the week’s commitments to health, equity, and dignity for all, wishing everyone a serene Sunday. 🙏🏽💫
#GratefulForHisGrace #PostUNGA #SongsOfPraise #SundaySerenity #HealthForAll
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As a Founding Member of the African Women Leaders Network Nigeria Steering Council, and a Member of the @OfficialAWLNetwork @UNWomen Committee in New York, I am pleased to have been represented by my @WellbeingAfrica Foundation Abuja Team, led by our Director of Public Policy, Impact and Partnership, Mr Rasheed Yusuf, at a day of events yesterday which gathered Nigerian women to celebrate achievement, reflect on progress, and chart new paths forward together.
The Voice of Women Conference & Awards 2025, convened with dedication by Mrs Toun Okewale Sonaiya, brought women from every sphere of life under the theme Nigerian Women & The Power of Collective Action at a breakfast and live broadcast gathering, honouring women at both the grassroots and national levels, reminding that each gain for women is magnified when pursued collectively.
That spirit carried seamlessly into the evening with the AWLN Nigeria Steering Council @NG_AfricanWomenLeadersNetwork Dinner Reception Roundtable at the United Nations House in Abuja, chaired by Professor Funmi Para-Mallam MNI, and held in honour of Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of South Africa and former Executive Director of UN Women. Discussions placed particular emphasis on the urgent need to secure parliamentary seats for women through measures such as the Special Seats Bill.
A highlight of the evening was the recognition of the recently launched National Consortium on Women in Governance, Peace and Security, developed with the support of UN Women Nigeria and the Government of Germany. I warmly welcome this vital step in institutionalising women’s leadership within decision-making and peacebuilding, ensuring inclusion is not symbolic but systemic, and reflecting AWLN Nigeria’s strength in bringing government, civil society, academia, and international partners together around a lasting framework for progress.
I congratulate the Steering Council for advancing this vision, and remain committed to standing at the frontline of our mission, ensuring that together we strengthen Nigeria and contribute to Africa’s transformation.
#AWLNNigeria
#WomenInLeadership
#FrontlineFriday
#WellbeingForAll
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