[Montréal, Canada] – On Saturday, 21st September 2024, at the One Young World Summit, a pioneering new chapter of Project Oscar was launched, marking a major scale-up in the fight against neonatal jaundice. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, in partnership with Oscar Anderson MBE and Reckitt, announced the expansion of Project Oscar to Nigeria. This initiative is aimed at saving lives by providing life-changing phototherapy units for the treatment of newborn jaundice—a leading cause of preventable brain damage in infants.

This high-level mainstage event featured distinguished speakers including Oscar Anderson MBE, a 23-year-old disability advocate and founder of Project Oscar; Patty O’Hayer, Global Head of External Affairs and Social Impact at Reckitt; and Her Excellency Toyin Saraki, Founder and President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa. The launch was a powerful demonstration of how simple, affordable light therapy can change the lives of newborns at risk of jaundice and bring preventative quality healthcare care to communities across Nigeria.

In his moving speech, Oscar Anderson shared the personal story of how a lack of access to light therapy after birth resulted in cerebral palsy. This life experience fueled his determination to prevent such outcomes for others, leading him to create Project Oscar. Since its inception in Vietnam in 2019, Project Oscar has provided over 100 phototherapy units, trained healthcare professionals, and treated more than 150,000 newborns.

As Nigeria ranks one of the the country most affected by neonatal jaundice, the expansion of Project Oscar to Lagos State will have a transformational impact. The project aims to equip healthcare facilities with the essential technology to diagnose and treat jaundice, ensuring that newborns receive the care they need in time. It also seeks to implement policy changes to make jaundice screening a routine part of newborn care across the country.

Her Excellency Toyin Saraki, Founder and President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa emphasised the life-saving potential of Project Oscar: “We are delighted to announce today that we are launching Project Oscar in Nigeria, beginning with Lagos State. This initiative has the power to save lives, ensure healthier outcomes for newborns, and change the future of neonatal care in our country. We want to ensure that every baby is tested for jaundice before leaving the hospital, creating a new normal for early detection and treatment. By working together, we can ensure that no child is left untreated due to a lack of resources through a community of practice for immediate detection.”

Project Oscar’s launch in Nigeria is a significant step in the global fight against neonatal jaundice. By leveraging the power of light therapy, this initiative will save lives, prevent disabilities, and create a brighter future for thousands of newborns. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, alongside its partners, Oscar Anderson & the Anderson Family, Reckitt, NEST360, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR) is calling on everyone to shine their light by signing the Light For Life Letter and advocating for stronger global standards in newborn care.

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