I was pleased to be updated on last week’s Comprehensive Newborn Care Course, as the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s commitment to maternal and newborn survival translated into meaningful, measurable action through the delivery of this programme under Project Oscar – Light for Life.

In partnership with NEST360, The Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, this initiative has strengthened frontline healthcare workers with the clinical expertise and practical skills required to deliver quality, evidence-based newborn care across Nigeria.

I have long maintained that the survival of a newborn is not a matter of chance, but of systems strengthening through consistently improving skills and sustained investment. From the care of preterm and low birth weight infants to infection prevention, safe referral, and the promotion of early and exclusive breastfeeding, this training reflects our MamaCare360 approach to integrated, continuum-based care.

When we invest in frontline health workers, we are investing in the future of our nations. Each trained provider strengthens the health system, and each newborn reached brings us closer to a world where preventable deaths are no longer tolerated.