Ahead of today’s World Prematurity Day, I was honoured to deliver the opening keynote at the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and Reckitt webinar, “Over 13 Million Babies Born Too Soon Every Year: Access to Quality Care Everywhere” on #FrontlineFriday.

This vital discussion highlighted the impact of targeted interventions and partnerships in improving survival rates and outcomes for premature babies across Nigeria, including existing Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Mamacare360 NICU Plus programme, whose midwives and nurses support mothers with lactation guidance, highlighting the critical role of breast milk in immunity and nutrition for preterm infants.

Globally, preterm birth remains the leading cause of death in children under five. In Nigeria, over 300,000 babies are born prematurely each year, with many facing challenges such as neonatal jaundice, a condition affecting over 80% of preterm infants. If left untreated, jaundice can lead to kernicterus, a preventable yet debilitating condition.

I am encouraged that through innovative frontline programming and timely care, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s social impact partnership with Reckitt is making a significant stride through implementing a new programmatic offering Project Oscar, a neonatal jaundice and kernicterus prevention, detection, and treatment initiative, which combines life-saving phototherapy equipment, rigorous healthcare worker training, and community-specific educational materials to address neonatal care gaps in underserved areas.

The webinar featured distinguished experts, including Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka, NEST360 Country Lead and Head of Neonatology-Perinatology at Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Dr. Olunfunke Bolaji, Consultant Paediatrician at Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti; and Dr. Sayomi Bukola, Neonatologist at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, who all shared their insights and learnings on advancing neonatal care and jaundice screening.

As we commemorate World Prematurity Day today, we are reminded that every baby, no matter where they are born, can start life healthy, strong, and supported.