FG, Partners Wrap Up Landmark Newborn and Child Health Project In Nigeria
The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially concluded the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project an ambitious three-year health initiative aimed at transforming newborn and child healthcare through context-specific, evidence-based guidelines.
Speaking at the end-of-project dissemination meeting in Abuja, health experts, government officials, and development partners hailed GELA as a model for policy-research collaboration that could shape the future of child healthcare delivery across the country.
Dr Amina, Director of the Child Health Division (representing the Director of Family Health), reaffirmed government’s support, noting that science-driven, collaborative solutions are key to reducing child mortality and improving primary healthcare outcomes.
Implemented in Nigeria, Malawi, and South Africa, with Nigeria as a critical focus, the project was led locally by Cochrane Nigeria and funded by the EDCTP2 programme.
Despite international backing, the design and execution were fully driven by local health experts, ensuring relevance and sustainability.
Professor Martin Meremikwu, Director of Cochrane Nigeria, emphasised the importance of tailoring global evidence to local needs. “We moved from simply adopting international standards to critically adapting them to Nigeria’s healthcare landscape,” he said.
Among the key outcomes were new guidelines for hand hygiene and infection prevention, as well as improved care protocols for preterm and low-birth-weight babies—both vital for reducing preventable newborn deaths.
President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Professor Ekanem Ekure, lauded the deep collaboration between the Ministry and health professionals, calling the project “three years of remarkable progress.”
Finalised guideline drafts, visual infographics, and digital tools were presented to stakeholders during the meeting, with discussions on scaling dissemination to health workers across the country.
Though the GELA project has formally ended, participants agreed it marks the beginning of a new chapter in Nigeria’s evidence-informed healthcare journey.
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