FROM July 3rd, 2025
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and valued partners in health,
It is an honour to address you on the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, a health institution of enduring national significance, and the very facility at which I was born. As both a national symbol of progress in maternal and newborn health and a site of personal significance, today offers a meaningful opportunity to evaluate sectoral gains, examine systemic challenges, and reaffirm shared commitments to improving outcomes for women and children in Nigeria.
Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, historically and affectionately known to many as the “Baby Factory,” has operated as a central facility within Nigeria’s maternal healthcare infrastructure since its formal commissioning in July 1960. The foundation stone, laid by the Duchess of Gloucester in May 1959, and the subsequent inauguration by Lady Robertson, marked a critical investment in post-independence public health development. Over the past six decades, the hospital has served as a specialist referral centre and clinical training facility, delivering thousands of births annually and producing generations of quality health professionals in obstetrics and gynaecology.
The hospital’s structured adoption of emergency obstetric protocols has yielded measurable outcomes, with maternal mortality declining from 93 documented deaths in 2013 to 38 in 2023, an achievement which highlights the effectiveness of local leadership, clinical protocol enforcement, and alignment with internationally recognised standards, and exemplifies the viability of targeted investment and sustained adherence to quality-of-care frameworks within maternal health systems.
This pursuit of excellence resonates with the mission of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, which I founded in 2004, inspired by personal experience and a vision for national change. After a traumatic birth experience in 1991 that resulted in the loss of one of my premature twins, I resolved to ensure that no woman should ever have to suffer preventable loss during childbirth. Today, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa works across Nigeria to deliver antenatal and postnatal education, support healthcare worker training, particularly in EmONC and Advanced Obstetric Surgical Skills, improve water, sanitation and hygiene practices, and elevate maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health through evidence-based programmes and strategic advocacy.
Our flagship MamaCare360 programme, operational in seven states across public health facilities, including Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, has delivered structured antenatal and postnatal classes to more than 1,000,000 pregnant and nursing mothers. The curriculum, led by WBFA professional, globally trained midwives and aligned with World Health Organization guidelines, addresses maternal nutrition, infection prevention, respectful care, newborn health, and family planning, among other key areas. The programme has contributed to improved health-seeking behaviour and increased uptake of skilled birth attendance.
To ensure continuity of care beyond facility walls, the Foundation administers digital midwifery support groups via WhatsApp, connecting over 9,000 women, including LIMH mothers, to real-time health guidance. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has also implemented its specialised NICU Plus programme at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, an extension of the MamaCare360 initiative designed to support mothers with newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Through structured sessions led by our WBFA midwives and nurses, NICU Plus provides targeted education on lactation, kangaroo care, and neonatal health, with a focus on improving outcomes for premature and medically vulnerable infants. The programme includes the provision of essential equipment, such as breast pumps, to enable sustained breastfeeding and mother–baby bonding during critical care. This intervention reflects WBFA’s commitment to continuum-of-care models that extend beyond delivery, addressing the complex needs of both mothers and newborns in intensive care settings. The presence of NICU Plus within LIMH further demonstrates the value of public–NGO collaboration in advancing maternal and newborn health outcomes at the tertiary care level.
Complementing the continuum-of-care framework, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital is also a designated site of Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Project Oscar – Light for Life, supported by our social impact partners Reckitt and targeting the early detection and treatment of neonatal jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia. In alignment with WHO and AAP clinical guidelines, the Foundation has donated advanced phototherapy units and BiliDx transcutaneous bilirubinometers to LIMH, enhancing frontline capacity to diagnose and manage neonatal jaundice with accuracy and immediacy. These technologies enable point-of-care bilirubin assessment and evidence-based phototherapy initiation, reducing the risk of kernicterus and long-term neurological impairment in affected neonates. By equipping facilities with essential diagnostic and therapeutic tools, Project Oscar – Light for Life highlights the importance of neonatal-specific innovations in reducing preventable newborn morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.
In parallel, a technical partnership between the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and GE Healthcare has facilitated the deployment and training of midwives in the use of portable ultrasound devices at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, equipping frontline providers with critical diagnostic tools for antenatal care. This initiative has strengthened the hospital’s capacity to detect complications such as multiple pregnancies, breech presentations, and placental abnormalities at earlier stages, thereby enabling timely clinical decision-making and more effective birth preparedness. By decentralising access to essential diagnostic technology and integrating it into midwifery-led care, the programme has contributed to improved maternal and fetal outcomes, while reinforcing the role of midwives as essential providers of comprehensive, evidence-based care within public health facilities.
Effective maternal and newborn health systems require concurrent action at both the community and policy levels. In my capacity as WHO Africa Regional Special Advisor and as Inaugural Global Health Ambassador for the WHO Foundation, I continue to advocate for domestic health financing aligned with the Abuja Declaration, including a minimum 15% budget allocation to health. This must translate to the availability of emergency obstetric services, the deployment and retention of skilled personnel, and the elimination of financial barriers to access.
Nigeria continues to report one of the highest global burdens of maternal mortality, with an estimated 75,000 maternal deaths annually. One in eight children does not survive to their fifth birthday. These outcomes reflect structural gaps in financing, human resources, and service delivery. However, documented improvements in facilities such as Lagos Island Maternity Hospital provide replicable models for scale.
Available evidence confirms that investment in health education, human resource capacity, and referral systems improves maternal and neonatal outcomes. Lagos Island Maternity Hospital offers a demonstrable case of progress resulting from institutional commitment, professional development, and community engagement.
The 65th anniversary of this hospital presents a moment to consolidate gains and accelerate reforms. A transition from survival-focused care to resilient, equitable, and rights-based health systems must guide future action. The right to safe childbirth and dignified maternal care must be institutionalised.
I acknowledge the sustained contributions of the hospital’s midwives, nurses, doctors, and administrative personnel. Their collective service has enabled institutional continuity and improved patient outcomes. I also recognise the strategic engagement of stakeholders gathered here today in the broader mission to advance maternal and child health in Nigeria.
Thank you.
FROM July 1st, 2025
Your Excellencies, First Ladies and Former First Ladies of Nigeria States, Outgoing Chairperson of the First Ladies Against Cancer Initiative, Her Excellency Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, Newly Inaugurated Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer Initiative, Her Excellency Barrister Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, and distinguished colleagues, partners, and friends, It is with deep purpose that I stand before you today, honoured to join this distinguished Network of Friends of FLAC. I recognise this invitation as an opportunity to lend my voice as President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, to this noble mission, transforming cancer care in Nigeria from a story of neglect into a legacy of equity, survival, and hope.
Allow me to begin by expressing profound respect for the leadership of the First Ladies Against Cancer Initiative. This coalition, composed of current and former First Ladies of our great nation, represents the very best of public service, convening not for ceremony, but for strategic, compassionate action. Your steadfast advocacy for cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship has brought clarity to a challenge too often overlooked, and visibility to those most vulnerable.
In the same breath, I wish to recognise and commend our valued partner today, Roche, for its longstanding commitment to oncology innovation, equity, and public-private collaboration in Africa. At the margins of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, I had the honour of joining a pivotal roundtable convened by the Business Council for International Understanding in partnership with Roche, focused on combating breast cancer through investment in noncommunicable diseases within the broader framework of Universal Health Coverage. Our discussions with Roche, the International Finance Corporation, and the World Bank Group highlighted the urgency of reimagining breast cancer care as a credible and measurable entry point for NCD integration, and of strengthening health worker training, financing strategies, and access to screening and treatment across Africa.
Roche’s partnership in these dialogues reflects the essential role that responsible private sector actors must play in building equitable health systems. According to the most recent GLOBOCAN data published in 2024, Nigeria recorded over 134,000 new cancer cases last year, and nearly 89,000 cancer-related deaths. Breast and cervical cancers remain the leading causes of cancer mortality among women, while childhood cancers and prostate cancer contribute significantly to the burden. Tragically, in Africa today, one in two women diagnosed with breast cancer will not survive beyond five years. These are not distant abstractions, they are Nigerian mothers, daughters, sisters, and children.
It is for this reason that the Wellbeing Foundation Africa continues to pursue a data-driven approach to cancer advocacy. In 2018, in partnership with Amref Health Africa and with support from Takeda Oncology, we conducted Nigeria’s first independent Rapid Assessment of Cancer Prevention and Control. This study remains essential in understanding the national landscape of oncology. We revealed critical gaps, a severe shortage of trained health personnel, a notable absence of specialists in rural areas, poor coordination of drug supply chains, and inadequate diagnostic and treatment infrastructure. These structural deficiencies not only compromise care, they cost lives.
Yet that report also catalysed progress. It informed Nigeria’s revised National Cancer Control Plan and has helped guide national and subnational strategies to strengthen health workforce training, expand cancer registries, and embed cancer screening into primary healthcare. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has continued to act on this evidence by integrating breast and cervical cancer screening into our Mamacare360 midwifery-led community antenatal and postnatal programming, working to educate women about symptoms and self-examinations, and referring at-risk individuals into formal care pathways.
As the Wellbeing Foundation Africa advances the broader vision of Universal Health Coverage with a gender-responsive lens, one that centres women’s health as a priority entry point to system-wide resilience, we aim to improve the standard of care across Nigeria, with particular attention to breast cancer survival rates, which, when diagnosed and treated early, can reach 80 to 90 percent.
I believe that FLAC, through its strong leadership and national presence, is uniquely positioned to accelerate these gains. The Friends of FLAC network, of which I am proud to now be a part, as a Former First Lady of Kwara State 2003-2011, as a former Chair of Nigeria Governors Wives Association 2007-2011 and as a former Chair, Forum of Senators Spouses 2015 – 2019, will serve as an amplifier, helping to mobilise resources, strengthen patient support systems, and push for policy reform that makes cancer services accessible, affordable, and dignified. Our role is to support FLAC’s vision not just in word, but in deed, by embedding cancer advocacy into maternal health platforms, strengthening data systems, and holding ourselves accountable for measurable progress.
Excellencies, distinguished guests, I believe this is a moment of national awakening. The cancer burden in Nigeria is growing, but so is our collective ability to respond. As someone who has had the honour of serving as First Lady, I have seen how the convening power of that role, when wielded with intention, can bring voices together across divides and spark lasting change. With the leadership of First Ladies nationwide, investment from our partners, and the commitment of frontline institutions like the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we can move from fragmented efforts to a unified, strategic response. We can normalise cancer screening through education and community engagement, we can scale up HPV vaccination for every eligible girl, we can expand coverage of care through national health insurance, and most importantly, we can build a health system rooted in knowledge, self-care, and dignity, one in which no Nigerian is left behind.
The fight against cancer is not only a medical imperative, it is a moral legacy. It reflects the value we place on each and every Nigerian life. Let history remember that this generation of leaders, nurturers, and nation-builders did not turn away. That we came together, as First Ladies, as policymakers, as civil society, and as global partners, to walk a path lit by courage, guided by evidence, and anchored in compassion.
Thank you. May our work together today build a legacy of survivorship, resilience, and restored hope for all.
FROM June 3rd, 2025
Monday, 2nd June 2025 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM WAT
United Nations House, Diplomatic Drive, Abuja
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues in health and stakeholders in development,
I am pleased to convey my goodwill and full support on the occasion of the formalisation of a transformative partnership agreement between the World Health Organization Nigeria Country Office and the TY Danjuma Foundation. This partnership reflects an important evolution in Nigeria’s approach to sustainable health financing and primary health care service delivery, and demonstrates the growing role of national philanthropy in advancing our collective health objectives.
As Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and as the Inaugural Global Health Ambassador for the WHO Foundation, I welcome this agreement as a constructive outcome of our shared ambition to strengthen health systems by reinforcing domestic leadership and investment. Since assuming my role with the WHO Foundation in 2021, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa has worked to widen the engagement between the WHO Country Office and Nigeria’s philanthropic community, advocating for greater domestic resource mobilisation and providing a bridge between technical frameworks and local implementation capacity.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s frontline programming, policy engagement, and glocal advocacy are directly aligned with the goals this partnership seeks to advance and with the TY Danjuma Foundation mission of enhancing the quality of life of Nigerians by supporting initiatives that improve access to health and educational opportunities. With a longstanding focus on maternal, newborn, and child health, our interventions are rooted in community-level delivery, responsive to national systems, and guided by global standards. Across our work, we prioritise evidence-based approaches that strengthen primary health care, promote respectful maternity care, and improve health outcomes for women, infants, and families. These efforts are anchored in equity, informed by robust data, and executed in alignment with national strategies and WHO technical guidance, with the World Health Organization serving as the central normative authority and standard.
This new partnership between WHO Nigeria and the TY Danjuma Foundation is, therefore, timely and well-positioned. It offers a complementary approach to filling persistent financing gaps, particularly in PHC systems where underinvestment continues to limit impact. According to WHO’s Investment Round estimates, sub-Saharan Africa requires an additional US$20 billion annually to close the UHC financing gap. In Nigeria, where total government expenditure on health remains below 5 per cent, there is a growing consensus on the need for innovative domestic financing mechanisms. Increasing national health spending by just 1 per cent of GDP could prevent over 3 million deaths each year by 2030, and generate up to a 4 per cent gain in economic productivity.
By aligning philanthropic capital with public sector goals, this partnership strengthens national ownership of health outcomes and builds accountability for sustainable delivery. It also reinforces the WHO’s model of leveraging non-state actors to support health priorities, while maintaining coherence with the WHO’s normative and strategic leadership. Importantly, it demonstrates that health progress can be driven through deliberate cooperation among trusted actors with shared values and mutual commitments.
On behalf of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, I reaffirm our commitment to continuing to support the implementation of this partnership and other aligned initiatives. As Nigeria navigates complex health challenges, from maternal and child mortality to pandemic preparedness and health worker capacity, coordinated action remains essential. We look forward to working alongside both WHO and the TY Danjuma Foundation to ensure that the benefits of this collaboration are realised at scale, in service of equitable, quality health for all.
I thank all those who have contributed to making this agreement possible, and wish the implementing teams every success in the period ahead.
Thank you.
FROM May 30th, 2025
Goodwill Statement delivered by Mr Williams Awotunde, MPH, National Program Director, Wellbeing Foundation Africa
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Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Colleagues, and Partners,
On behalf of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), I am deeply honoured to extend our Founder and President, Her Excellency Toyin Ojora Saraki’s heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) on this momentous occasion. Today’s donation of essential equipment under the Global Health Workforce Project (GHWP) formerly THET programme, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), is a testament to our collective commitment to Strengthening Nigeria’s Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) capacity and Advanced Obstetrics Surgical Skills (AOSS).
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, as a proud partner on this transformative project, recognizes the critical role that NPMCN and its distinguished faculty play in shaping the future of maternal and newborn health in Nigeria. By equipping NPMCN with the tools and resources needed to empower our medical professionals to strengthen Continuous Professional Development, we are investing not only in the safety and wellbeing of mothers and babies but also in the future resilience of our nation’s health system.
Today, as we reflect on the tremendous achievements of the GHWP Project to improve the availability of quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care at national and sub-national hospitals by strengthening the capacity of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria over the past year, I am particularly delighted that the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has recognized the impact of our collaboration and granted an extension of six months.
This is not only a testament to the tireless dedication of our partners at LSTM and NPMCN but also a validation of the transformative change we are driving together in strengthening EmONC and AOSS capacity across Nigeria. This extension offers us an invaluable opportunity to deepen our impact, sustain progress, and leave an enduring legacy of resilience in maternal and newborn health. WBFA remains committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners to ensure that every mother and every newborn can survive and thrive.
The programme has trained 82 examiners and 120 resident doctors and established two Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and integrated the AOSS curriculum into national postgraduate training With a recently approved costed extension, the initiative has expanded its footprint to cover all six geopolitical zones, including new centres in Port Harcourt and Gombe with plans to train additional 64 resident doctors.
As the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s President has stated,
“When we invest in the health of women and children, we are investing in the future of our families, communities, and nations. This is not just an act of goodwill—it is a declaration of our shared responsibility and commitment to life.”
“In order to improve maternal health significantly, we at the Wellbeing Foundation Africa have long identified the barriers that limit access, availability and quality of maternal and newborn health services. From the first moment I witnessed the impact of hands-on anatomically delivered simulation model training globally, I knew that building a community of well-practised multi-disciplinary delivery teams could address the local frontline barriers to improving care services rapidly and wholeheartedly, at both the health system and societal level.”
“Nigeria continues to bear an unacceptably high burden of maternal mortality, with an estimated 75,000 maternal deaths in 2023, accounting for approximately 28.7% of global maternal deaths. This staggering figure underscores the urgent need for continued efforts to strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers to manage obstetric emergencies and save lives. While significant progress has been made, there is still much work to do to ensure equitable access to life-saving care, particularly in underserved regions.”
“Let us remember that behind and beyond every statistic of maternal and newborn mortality lies a family and a community impacted. Together, through partnerships like the GHWP and unwavering commitment from institutions such as NPMCN, we can close the gaps in emergency obstetric care and ensure that no woman or child is left behind.”
“As the Wellbeing Foundation Africa commemorates its 20th anniversary of operations since 2004 to ensure safer births in Nigeria, we are immensely appreciative of our longstanding partnership with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s Centre for Childbirth, Women’s, and Newborn Health and its Emergency Obstetric & Quality of Care Unit, as well as the distinguished 125-year legacy of LSTM as a pioneering academic institution in global health. Our collaboration began in 2015 with the implementation of the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care project in Kwara State, supported by Johnson & Johnson Global Health, which introduced certified EmONC skills and drills training across all 16 Local Government Areas, and successfully integrated continuous professional development into undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in partnership with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, and later extending to the Nursing and Midwifery Coincil of Nigeria, leading to the establishment of two Centres of Excellence, which continue to cascade learnings to this day.”
“I am particularly encouraged and delighted, especially in my capacity as World Economic Forum Champion of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health and through my leadership of the Global Activators Network for Maternal Health, working to advance health equity, midwifery, and access to medical supplies, that the 2024–2025 extension of our LSTM–WBFA collaboration under the Global Health Workforce Programme, funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and managed by the Tropical Health and Education Trust, has expanded Advanced Obstetric Surgical Skills training to medical examiners, registrars and resident doctors, as these efforts, in strengthening both clinical training and evaluation systems through the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, directly reinforces and aligns with the objectives of the Federal Government’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII), which is focused on driving down Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio through targeted, life-saving interventions for women and newborns in the country’s highest-burden areas.”
This training and equipment handover underscore the institutional sustainability of the programme, enabling Nigerian training institutions to integrate best practices into routine postgraduate medical education. We are also committed to mobilizing resources and partnerships to establish at least one Centre of Excellence in each geopolitical zone of Nigeria, ensuring equitable access to life-saving training for all regions and building a resilient, well-prepared obstetric workforce nationwide.
The AOSS programme implemented in Nigeria by the LSTM and WBFA is funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and managed by the Global Health Partnerships (GHP) and Ducit Blue Solutions, delivering health workforce transformation that benefits both UK and partner-country health sectors.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa commends the Global Health Workforce Program (GHWP) and the leadership of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria for their dedication to this capacity building cause, and extend our deepest gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Health for their unwavering support and commitment to improving maternal and newborn health across Nigeria.
I also commend the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for its holistic commitments to driving progress in maternal and neonatal health, through measurement and learning support for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) the lead agency for MAMII, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN, funded by the Gates Foundation, where acting as an operational extension of NPHCDA, LSTM plays a pivotal role in strengthening healthcare delivery systems and scaling evidence-based maternal and neonatal care interventions.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa remains steadfast in our mission to support and strengthen maternal, newborn, and child health in Nigeria and across Africa.
Together, let us continue to build, grow and cascade a future where every mother and newborn can survive and thrive to the very frontlines and hands of health.
Thank you.
FROM April 9th, 2025
Keynote address:
Distinguished hosts, esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
It is with an unwavering sense of purpose that I rise to address you this evening at the McKinsey Roundtable on Closing the Women’s Health Gap in Africa. I extend my sincere appreciation to the McKinsey Health Institute for convening this essential dialogue, and for the tireless, evidence-based work the team have undertaken in recent years to make visible what has for too long remained unseen, to give voice to those unheard, and to make the case for investing in the health of women and girls as not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity.
It is especially meaningful that we gather here today on World Health Day, under the newly launched 2025 World Health Organization global theme and year-long campaign “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” which compels us to centre maternal and newborn health as a critical axis of sustainable development, not just in policy but in practice. It calls upon us to strengthen systems, elevate midwifery and frontline care, and ensure that every woman’s journey to motherhood is supported with dignity, safety, and respect. In so doing, we honour the truth that healthy beginnings are the seedbed of hopeful futures, not only for individual families, but for entire nations.
As a long-standing contributor to the McKinsey Health Institute’s consultation process, and as a Champion of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health at the World Economic Forum, I have witnessed first-hand the rising momentum around this issue. Yet, we must be candid: progress has not kept pace with need.
Women across the world spend, on average, 25 percent more of their lives in poor health than men. This figure, though simple in its expression, encapsulates generations of systemic exclusion. It is a statistic that carries the weight of silence, of misdiagnosed symptoms, of underfunded research, of neglected care, of social and structural inequity.
According to the landmark report “Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity”, developed by McKinsey in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, closing this gap could generate an additional 75 million healthy life years for women each year – the equivalent of adding seven days of healthy life annually for every woman on the planet. This is not an abstraction. This is real time restored to real lives, time spent learning, working, caregiving, leading, and living fully.
Moreover, the report reveals that addressing the health gap has the potential to contribute an estimated $1 trillion in global GDP annually by the year 2040. If we ever needed proof that women’s health is not a cost but a catalyst, this is it.
Yet unfortunately, numbers alone do not move hearts nor policies. It is our duty to translate data into action, and action into systems that endure. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, which I founded over two decades ago, stands as a living laboratory of such action. Our work bridges gaps, not only between women and the healthcare they need, but between communities and institutions, data and dignity, local realities and global strategies.
Our flagship Mamacare360 programme, implemented in more than 68 healthcare facilities across Nigeria, has reached over 59,000 pregnant women in the past year alone, and over one million since inception, delivering free, comprehensive, quality antenatal and postnatal education, respectful maternity care, and access to vital services.
Furthering this, the WBFA NICU Plus initiative addresses the needs of the mothers of our smallest and most vulnerable citizens, premature and low-birthweight newborns, ensuring their mothers receive lactation support to breastfeed and bond, even in the most high-stress environments, improving the physical and mental health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Alongside this, we have expanded the reach of our Mamacare360 Digital Midwifery Platform to ensure that distance or digital divides do not become barriers to trusted, real-time medical advice.
These WBFA programmes are informed by a clear philosophy that health systems must be people-centred, gender-responsive, and equity-driven. We are guided by the WHO Quality of Care Standards and committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, but above all, we are inspired by the women we serve, whose stories of resilience, innovation, and courage drive us forward.
Yet our work cannot and must not occur in isolation. The Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap, published this year, provides us with an actionable, five-pillar framework to advance this agenda. It calls on us to: count women, study women, care for women, include all women, and invest in women.
Allow me to reflect on these pillars as they pertain to our context in Nigeria, and to the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s work.
First, we must count women. The underrepresentation of women in clinical research, health surveillance, and national datasets distorts our understanding and diminishes our response. In Nigeria, we have pioneered the routine collection of sex-disaggregated data through our Mamacare360 programme, providing insight into real-time health indicators at the frontline. The Women’s Health Impact Tracking platform offers a promising model to deepen this, and I call on Nigerian and African governments to adopt and localise it as a tool for informed action.
Second, we must study women. Too many health conditions, ranging from endometriosis and fibroids to maternal hypertensive disorders, are either poorly understood or wrongly assumed to be benign, especially for women of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups. Through our partnerships with global and local academic institutions and hospitals, such as the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital WBFA contributes to the evidence base on maternal health, lactation, neonatal outcomes, and behavioural change. As the Blueprint rightly highlights, nine key conditions alone account for over a third of the women’s health gap. We must ensure that research funding in Nigeria reflects this burden, and that our medical curricula integrate women’s biology across all life stages.
Third, we must care for women. This means not only training providers in gender-sensitive diagnostics and respectful maternity care, but also designing health systems around the real needs of women. At WBFA, we have trained hundreds of midwives and frontline healthcare workers in respectful, rights-based care. Our facilities integrate antenatal education with hygiene interventions such as Teach Clean and WASH improvements, because we understand that dignity in childbirth cannot be achieved without clean water, privacy, and safety.
Fourth, we must include all women. Health equity in Nigeria must mean reaching adolescent girls navigating puberty, women with disabilities, those displaced by conflict, and those in remote or peri-urban areas. Our Digital Midwifery Platform ensures that no woman is left behind due to geography or stigma, offering support through WhatsApp and community health champions, and WBFA midwives and nurses work in schools providing Personal, Social, Health and Economic education to young girls especially, creating safe and brave spaces.
And finally, we must invest in women. The World Economic Forum estimates that funding the research, education, and care systems required to close the gap could generate over $500 billion in direct market opportunity globally. In Nigeria, investing in women’s health will boost productivity, reduce long-term healthcare costs, and enable more women to participate meaningfully in the economy. Every naira spent on maternal and newborn health returns tenfold in national development.
Colleagues and friends, Nigeria need not wait for permission to lead. From Gombe to Cross River, we have seen what is possible when communities are engaged, data is respected, and care is delivered with compassion. With our young population, health innovation ecosystem, and active civil society, we are well-positioned to close this gap from the bottom up and top down alike.
Let us remember that every missed opportunity in women’s health is not just a woman’s loss, it is society’s loss. Conversely, every advance in women’s health brings gains across education, economic development, environmental sustainability, and peace.
So let this roundtable not be merely a convening. Let it be a covenant. A commitment to act, to align, and to accelerate the closing of the women’s health gap, not by 2040, but starting today.
For in the words of the Nigerian proverb, “When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”
Let us deepen our roots, in evidence, in empathy, and in equity, and rise together to build a future where every woman, everywhere, can live not just longer, but healthier and more empowered lives.
Thank you.
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FROM March 27th, 2025
Distinguished Guests, Eminent Stakeholders, Partners, and Advocates,
It is with profound gratitude and an unwavering commitment to comprehensive maternal and neonatal health that I stand before you today at this pivotal gathering of the Global Activators Network on Maternal Health, convened by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
This two-day forum is not merely a convening of stakeholders; it is a coalition of dedicated actors who recognise the imperative of collective action to address the crisis of maternal mortality. It is a clarion call to reaffirm our shared vision of a world where no woman dies giving life, where every newborn is given the opportunity to thrive, and where the health and wellbeing of mothers are at the heart of national and global development.
From the very inception of this cause, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa has remained resolute in advancing maternal, newborn, and child health as a fundamental right, integrating quality care, financial inclusion, and policy advocacy to improve outcomes for women and newborns across Nigeria, Africa, and beyond.
As a World Economic Forum Global Champion of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, my approach to maternal health is shaped by an international perspective that recognises the interconnectedness of local interventions and global impact. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, with its longstanding commitment to Universal Health Coverage, aligns closely with the objectives of this convening, as we work tirelessly to ensure that maternal health is prioritised within both national and global health systems.
Our mission is clear: the Wellbeing Foundation Africa will continue to accelerate access to high-quality maternal healthcare, reduce preventable deaths, and strengthen the resilience of health systems through strategic, evidence-based interventions.
Nigeria stands at a decisive moment in its maternal health journey. Maternal mortality remains an unacceptably high public health challenge, and every statistic is a sobering reminder of the urgency of our mission. The primary causes, postpartum haemorrhage, hypertension, and sepsis, are not just medical conditions but tragedies that can and must be prevented through robust and coordinated interventions.
These deaths represent not only personal losses for families but also a failure of the systems that should ensure safe pregnancies and childbirths. It is our responsibility, as leaders, policymakers, advocates, and practitioners, to build a future where maternal deaths become a rarity rather than an all-too-common occurrence.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has made significant strides in reinforcing Universal Health Coverage as a national priority. This commitment is exemplified by the ambitious Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII). I commend this strategic initiative and His Excellency, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, as he leads in building a framework that addresses the key barriers to maternal health services, barriers which delay care and ultimately cost lives.
MAMII is structured to confront the five critical delays we see on the frontlines daily at the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and combat actively: the delay in seeking care, often due to misinformation, financial constraints, and socio-cultural factors; the delay in reaching care, exacerbated by inadequate transportation infrastructure and logistical challenges; the delay in receiving care, driven by shortages in skilled health professionals and essential medical supplies; the delay in taking responsibility, requiring stronger community engagement and accountability; and the delay in coordination, which highlights the need for seamless integration between policy, financing, and implementation.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa aligns seamlessly with the objectives of MAMII, bringing to bear our extensive experience in on-the-ground community engagement, quality healthcare delivery, and policy advocacy at global and local levels. Our flagship WBFA program – the MamaCare360 Antenatal and Postnatal Education Classes, has empowered over 1,000,000 women and counting with critical information on pregnancy, nutrition, birth preparedness, and newborn care. By directly addressing the delay in seeking care through our trusted WBFA midwives and nurses, our programming ensures that women are informed and access maternal health services promptly.
Pre-2011 Midwives Service Scheme
Pre-2011, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa actively supported the Federal Government’s Midwives Service Scheme, a bold national effort to deploy midwives to rural and underserved areas where maternal and neonatal mortality rates were unacceptably high. WBFA played a critical advocacy role in urging increased recruitment, training, and deployment of midwives, recognizing that skilled birth attendants are the cornerstone of reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths. This initiative laid the foundation for many of WBFA’s midwifery-led maternal health interventions today, emphasizing community-based care and emergency obstetric responses that continue to save lives.
The Personal Health Records and the Maternal and Child Health Handbook represent one of WBFA’s most impactful contributions to maternal and newborn health. Developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, these tools have ensured millions of Nigerian mothers and newborns have access to structured, continuous health monitoring. The PHR and MCH Handbook have revolutionised patient tracking, antenatal care monitoring, child immunisation adherence, and growth monitoring, creating a systemic, data-driven approach to maternal and newborn health. Most recently, WBFA introduced and validated the Maternal Perinatal Mental Health Checklist, which has now been integrated into the MCH Handbook, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to maternal mental wellbeing, an often-overlooked aspect of reproductive health.
Through our longstanding social impact partnership with Reckitt, WBFA has revolutionised hygiene education and WASH – Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene – interventions across healthcare facilities, schools, and communities. Under the WBFA Dettol Hygiene Quest program, WBFA has trained and empowered entire populations on infection prevention, sanitation, and hygiene best practices, recognising that improved hygiene is a direct determinant of maternal and child health outcomes.
The program has reached over 192,419 students, instilling lifelong hygiene habits through structured school-based interventions. In maternal health, over 47,743 pregnant and lactating mothers have received direct education on the critical role of hygiene in reducing maternal and infant infections, while 25,188 community members have been engaged in household-level hygiene education. Furthering its hospital interventions, WBFA has trained 2,305 healthcare workers on infection prevention and control to prevent sepsis and hospital-acquired infections, a major cause of maternal and neonatal mortality. Impressively, the program exceeded its original target by 122%, demonstrating strong demand, high impact, and measurable improvements in hygiene practices across communities.
Additionally, Teach Clean, WBFA’s specialized IPC program, has directly contributed to the Clean Naija movement, preventing sepsis in hospitals and maternity wards, while embedding gold-standard infection control measures into healthcare facilities.
WBFA’s Mamacare+NLift initiative is a comprehensive maternal and child nutrition program that integrates malnutrition prevention, iron and folic acid supplementation, and family planning education into a single, powerful intervention. This program tackles iron deficiency anaemia, a leading contributor to maternal morbidity and poor pregnancy outcomes, by ensuring pregnant women have access to IFA supplements throughout pregnancy.
Since its launch, over 300,000 mothers and children have directly benefited from nutrition counselling, early childhood nutrition support, and family planning services, improving overall maternal and child health indicators across Nigeria. The program has played a pivotal role in reducing anaemia prevalence among pregnant women, enhancing safe pregnancy outcomes and strengthening child survival rates.
A cornerstone of WBFA’s commitment to maternal and newborn health, Mamacare360 NICUPlus is a specialised neonatal intensive care support program designed to empower mothers of preterm and critically ill newborns with essential lactation and breastfeeding knowledge. Research consistently shows that exclusive breastfeeding can significantly improve preterm infant survival, yet many mothers in NICUs lack the guidance and support needed to sustain breastfeeding under such difficult circumstances.
Through Mamacare360 NICUPlus, WBFA has trained midwives and lactation specialists, ensuring that mothers of NICU babies receive immediate and ongoing breastfeeding education and support. The program has already impacted over 2,737 preterm babies, equipping their mothers with the knowledge, breast pumps, and nutrition guidance necessary for exclusive human milk feeding, and has directly led to higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding, reducing neonatal mortality and long-term developmental risks among preterm infants.
WBFA’s partnership with Alive & Thrive has been instrumental in scaling up Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Feeding best practices, with a particular focus on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding education. Since its inception, the program has reached over 400,000 mothers, equipping them with evidence-based breastfeeding techniques and proper infant nutrition counselling.
The program has significantly boosted exclusive breastfeeding rates, directly contributing to reducing infant morbidity and mortality. WBFA’s MIYCF intervention also addresses common barriers to successful breastfeeding, including workplace policies, community misconceptions, and gaps in hospital lactation support.
WBFA-AMREF-Takeda Rapid Assessment of Cancer Treatment Readiness
In 2018, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa in collaboration with Amref Health Africa and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, conducted a pivotal rapid assessment to evaluate Nigeria’s preparedness for cancer treatment. This initiative aimed to identify existing gaps in cancer care infrastructure and services, thereby informing strategies to enhance cancer prevention and treatment across the nation. The assessment revealed significant deficiencies in diagnostic facilities, limited access to care, inadequate technical capacity, and insufficient infrastructure, all contributing to a weakened response to the burgeoning cancer burden in Nigeria. These findings highlighted the critical need for a coordinated effort to bolster the country’s health systems to effectively manage and control cancer.
Primary Health Care CSO Support Group to 8th National Assembly: Consolidated Revenue Fund and BHCPF Advocacy (WBFA and ONE Campaign)
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, in partnership with the ONE Campaign, played a strategic role in advocating for the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, as mandated by the National Health Act. This advocacy targeted the 8th National Assembly, emphasizing the necessity of allocating adequate resources to primary health care. The concerted efforts of civil society organizations culminated in the legislative approval and release of funds for the BHCPF, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage. This fund has been instrumental in strengthening primary health care services, ensuring that essential health services are accessible and affordable to all Nigerians, particularly in underserved communities.
EmONC Kwara
The Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care program in Kwara State was a strategic partnership between the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Johnson & Johnson, with the program training over 700 healthcare providers across 51 healthcare facilities spanning all 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State. This extensive training directly benefited an estimated 62,900 women and their newborns in those 30 months, leading to measurable improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Additionally, the program has established eight skills laboratories equipped with modern training tools to ensure continuous professional development for healthcare workers, with the establishment of 2 centres of excellence and cascading impact which continues to benefit.
WBFA and Laerdal: Increasing Midwives’ Access to Modern Training and Tools (2016–Present)
Since 2016, WBFA has partnered with Laerdal Global Health to enhance midwifery education and practice in Nigeria. This collaboration has focused on providing midwives with access to modern training tools and simulation-based education, such as the MamaNatalie birthing simulators. These tools have been pivotal in preparing midwives to manage birth complications like postpartum haemorrhage, thereby improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. The partnership has also emphasised hands-on training, equipping midwives with the confidence and competence to handle emergencies effectively.
WBFA and Ferring Partners: Advocacy for Heat-Stable Carbetocin
In 2019, during the Ferring Pharmaceuticals Internal Meeting, Malaga, WBFA, in collaboration with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, advocated for the adoption of heat-stable carbetocin in Nigeria. This advocacy was driven by the need for effective interventions to prevent postpartum haemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal mortality. Heat-stable carbetocin offers a significant advantage in low-resource settings, as it does not require refrigeration, making it more practical for use in various climatic conditions. This initiative led to the development of the “Smiles for Mothers”, implemented by Ferring and Solina, aiming to improve maternal health outcomes by ensuring the availability and proper use of this life-saving medication across Nigerian states.
Recognising that early detection of pregnancy complications is key to reducing maternal mortality, WBFA, in partnership with General Electric Healthcare, has trained midwives across Nigeria in portable ultrasound diagnostics. By equipping 249 midwives with ultrasound training, WBFA has enabled early detection of high-risk pregnancies, fetal distress, and complications like placenta previa and multiple gestations, improving antenatal care outcomes.
In partnership with UNHCR, WBFA has extended its maternal and child healthcare services to refugees in Cross River State, ensuring displaced populations receive antenatal care, immunizations, and essential maternal nutrition support. This initiative has helped bridge the gap in healthcare access for vulnerable populations, reinforcing WBFA’s commitment to health equity. Separately, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa advocates for the UNHCR’s 36 Million Solutions campaign, which convenes multi-sector actors across Africa to accelerate private sector leadership in driving sustainable, market-based interventions that advance economic inclusion for displaced populations. This initiative reflects WBFA’s commitment to promoting well-being throughout the entire life course of displaced individuals.
Childhood diarrhoea remains a leading cause of under-five mortality in Nigeria, but WBFA’s intervention with Nutrition International has transformed treatment outcomes through the distribution of Low Osmolarity ORS and Zinc supplementation. To date, over 250,000 children in Sokoto and Kano have received lifesaving ORS and Zinc therapy, dramatically reducing preventable childhood deaths due to dehydration.
GHWP Advanced Obstetrics and Surgical Skills (AOSS) Training
The Global Health Workforce Programme, in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, has made significant strides in enhancing maternal and neonatal healthcare in Nigeria. As of February 2025, the program has successfully trained 225 obstetrics and gynaecology doctors through the Advanced Obstetrics and Surgical Skills course. To facilitate this training, Centers of Excellence have been established in Abuja and Lagos, with additional sessions conducted in Kano and Enugu, thereby strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals nationwide.
WBFA, Reckitt, Nest360, Solina, Lagos State Government – NNJ+K Program (Project Oscar – Light For Life)
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Neonatal Jaundice Screening, Treatment, and Kernicterus Prevention Program, known as Project Oscar – Light For Life, is a collaborative initiative involving WBFA, Reckitt, Nest360, Solina Centre for International Development and Research, and the Lagos State Government. Launched nationally on December 3, 2024, to commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this program aims to improve the screening, treatment, and prevention of neonatal jaundice, a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. The initiative provides healthcare facilities with essential tools such as phototherapy units and bilirubinometers to ensure accurate diagnoses and timely treatments. It also focuses on training healthcare professionals to effectively manage NNJ and raising awareness among families to dispel misconceptions about the condition. This collaborative effort seeks to reduce neonatal mortality and prevent lifelong disabilities associated with NNJ, with the aim of screening over 9,000 infants, educating over 10,000 mothers and specially training 300 healthcare workers in its first phase.
Past Advocacy: PATHS2 DFID Advocacy on Pre-Eclampsia and Adoption of WHO Breastmilk Substitutes Regulation in Nigeria
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has a history of impactful advocacy in maternal and child health. Through the Partnership for Transforming Health Systems Phase 2, supported by the UK Department for International Development, WBFA advocated for improved management of pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure. This included promoting the use of anti-shock garments to stabilize patients during emergencies. Additionally, WBFA played a crucial role in advocating for the adoption of the World Health Organization’s regulations on breastmilk substitutes in Nigeria, aiming to protect and promote breastfeeding by ensuring appropriate marketing and use of breastmilk substitutes.
From midwifery advocacy since 2004 to groundbreaking frontline maternal and neonatal interventions in 2025, WBFA’s comprehensive, data-driven approach has shaped Nigeria’s maternal, newborn, and child health landscape. Through partnerships, programmatic innovation, and strategic advocacy and policy, WBFA has impacted millions, driving sustainable, long-term improvements in maternal and family health, ensuring that every mother and child has a chance to survive and thrive.
Through sharing the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s evidence-based best practices, the Global Activators Network on Maternal Health Nigeria Workshop offers us a unique opportunity to translate these strategies discussed into tangible action, as we aim to refine the key priority areas that will drive maternal health interventions in Nigeria.
The success of this endeavour depends on a collective approach that brings together public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. Maternal health must not be seen as a siloed government initiative; it must be a national imperative that calls upon the resources, expertise, and innovations of multiple sectors.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, through its established community-based programming and advocacy for financial protection mechanisms, has long championed a collaborative approach to maternal health, ensuring that women receive the care they need without fear of economic hardship. Our deliberations must yield tangible and sustainable solutions that not only reach the highest levels of policy but also transform realities at the grassroots level where the need is most acute.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa works with global partners, many of whom join us today, including international organisations, philanthropic entities, and the private sector, to drive transformative and innovative solutions in maternal healthcare, including training, retaining, and equitably deploying skilled midwives, nurses, doctors and healthcare personnel, with a mission to improve maternal outcomes through continuous opportunities for professional development and adequate support structures.
Additionally, the availability of life-saving commodities, such as oxytocin, misoprostol, magnesium sulfate, heat-stable carbetocin, tranexamic acid, blood products, and essential medical equipment, must be guaranteed. No woman should lose her life due to the unavailability of basic medical supplies.
Equally critical is the need to ensure that maternal health services are both accessible and of the highest quality. Primary Health Care Centres must be revitalised to provide comprehensive maternal health services and emergency obstetric and neonatal care must be integrated across all levels of the healthcare system.
However, even the best-equipped facilities will remain underutilised if women do not trust or have the means to access them. This is why community engagement is vital. Through culturally sensitive advocacy, faith-based collaborations, and initiatives that empower women with knowledge, we must drive demand for maternal healthcare and ensure that no woman is left behind.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s model, which integrates health education, frontline community health worker engagement, emergency obstetric and newborn care training, and the promotion of birth preparedness, has demonstrated that empowered women seek and receive better care, overcome socio-cultural and financial barriers to accessing maternal health services, reach healthcare facilities promptly, and receive high-quality care from well-trained professionals equipped with essential medical supplies. By fostering stronger evidence-based engagement, improving coordination across healthcare systems, and ensuring financial protection for women, WBFA’s model actively addresses the systemic challenges that delay maternal and neonatal care, ultimately reducing preventable deaths and improving health outcomes for mothers and newborns.
Financing remains a significant challenge, and sustainable funding mechanisms must be strengthened to remove economic barriers to care. The Basic Health Care Provision Fund, alongside health insurance schemes, should be optimised to expand coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for maternal health services.
Today, we are gathered here not just to discuss these issues but to take decisive steps towards their resolution. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing maternal health systems through policy acceleration, frontline-driven initiatives, and global partnerships.
Let this be a moment where we not only pledge our dedication but also take concrete actions that will make a measurable difference. The lives of millions of women and newborns depend on the commitments we make today. Each of us must unite in our efforts to build a future where every pregnancy is safe, every birth is attended with care, and every mother has the opportunity to nurture her child without fear.
Thank you.
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