Recognising that neonatal jaundice detection has not always been designed with darker skin tones in mind, contributing to delayed diagnosis and inequitable outcomes for Black newborns, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa is advancing a health systems strengthening response through Project Oscar – Light For Life, a Neonatal Jaundice Screening, Treatment, and Kernicterus Prevention Programme, reflecting the call of Black Maternal Health Week 2026 to address systemic blind spots from the very first breath, as I discussed on the Every Pregnancy, BornInto podcast, highlighting how visual assessment standards continue to miss jaundice in darker-skinned infants.

Rooted in the lived experience and advocacy of Oscar Anderson MBE, supported by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s social impact partners Reckitt, and delivered in partnership with the Solina Centre for International Development & Research (SCIDaR), NEST360, and the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Lagos State Government, Project Oscar – Light For Life strengthens early identification, timely treatment, and referral systems within routine newborn care, representing Nigeria’s first initiative of its kind.

Our impact to date in March 2026
💡 9,718 newborns screened across participating facilities
💡 1,049 newborns identified with elevated bilirubin levels
💡 97.1 per cent of identified cases treated
💡 0 cases of kernicterus recorded among screened infants
💡 342 healthcare workers trained

Through the deployment of transcutaneous bilirubinometers, expansion of phototherapy access, and targeted frontline workforce training, Project Oscar – Light For Life is embedding equitable, evidence-based neonatal jaundice screening within essential newborn care, aligned with guidance from the World Health Organization.

With growing global collaboration, including innovation partners such as Picterus Jaundice, our work is advancing scalable, non-invasive solutions that improve diagnostic accuracy across all populations and extend access to undersupported communities, because every newborn deserves the opportunity to survive and thrive without preventable harm.