Nigeria Health Watch
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We transform evidence into influence. Through strategic communications, targeted advocacy, and powerful storytelling, we bridge the gap between data and decision-making. Nigeria Health Watch works with governments, development partners, and civil society to shape health narratives, drive policy reform, and strengthen public trust. From epidemic preparedness to health financing, we amplify critical issues and ensure […]

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We bring the realities of communities to the forefront of health decision-making. Through innovative tools, grassroots engagement, and real-time data collection, we track health service delivery and amplify citizen voices. Our community health monitoring initiatives uncover gaps, highlight successes, and provide actionable insights that drive accountability and responsiveness. By connecting communities with policymakers and stakeholders, […]

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We tell the stories that matter, accurately, responsibly, and with impact. Our editorial platform delivers solutions-driven journalism that informs, educates, and inspires action across Nigeria’s health sector. From in-depth analysis to human-centered storytelling, we spotlight innovations, challenges, and opportunities shaping health outcomes. With a commitment to credibility and clarity, we make complex health issues accessible […]

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We generate insights that drive smarter health decisions. Our research combines rigorous methodology with practical relevance, producing evidence that informs policy, strengthens programmes, and supports innovation. From behavioural studies to health systems analysis, we uncover trends, evaluate interventions, and translate findings into actionable recommendations. Working with partners across sectors, we ensure our research addresses real-world […]

Slide Background Image

We transform evidence into influence. Through strategic communications, targeted advocacy, and powerful storytelling, we bridge the gap between data and decision-making. Nigeria Health Watch works with governments, development partners, and civil society to shape health narratives, drive policy reform, and strengthen public trust. From epidemic preparedness to health financing, we amplify critical issues and ensure […]

Slide Background Image

We bring the realities of communities to the forefront of health decision-making. Through innovative tools, grassroots engagement, and real-time data collection, we track health service delivery and amplify citizen voices. Our community health monitoring initiatives uncover gaps, highlight successes, and provide actionable insights that drive accountability and responsiveness. By connecting communities with policymakers and stakeholders, […]

Slide Background Image

We tell the stories that matter, accurately, responsibly, and with impact. Our editorial platform delivers solutions-driven journalism that informs, educates, and inspires action across Nigeria’s health sector. From in-depth analysis to human-centered storytelling, we spotlight innovations, challenges, and opportunities shaping health outcomes. With a commitment to credibility and clarity, we make complex health issues accessible […]

Slide Background Image

We generate insights that drive smarter health decisions. Our research combines rigorous methodology with practical relevance, producing evidence that informs policy, strengthens programmes, and supports innovation. From behavioural studies to health systems analysis, we uncover trends, evaluate interventions, and translate findings into actionable recommendations. Working with partners across sectors, we ensure our research addresses real-world […]

Advocacy and Communications
Community Health Monitoring
Editorial
Research
Advocacy and Communications
Community Health Monitoring
Editorial
Research

Advocacy and
Communications

Editorial

Community Health
Monitoring

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Research

One Million More Midwives: The Smartest Investment for Safer Births in a Shrinking Aid Landscape

Anna af Ugglas and Olubunmi Oyebanji (Lead writers) International Day of the Midwife 2026 should not be treated as another health calendar moment. Under the theme, “One Million More Midwives,” it is a direct call to governments, donors, and health leaders to invest in the workforce that can save more women and newborns. Recent analyses […]

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Curated Conversations: Isra Chaker on Reimagining Maternal Health Philanthropy and Saving Mothers’ Lives

Olubunmi Oyebanji, Onyedikachi Ewe, and Chinwendu Iroegbu (Lead writers)“For every $1 invested in maternal health, it yields $9 in economic returns for the community and society,” says Isra Chaker, Founder and CEO of Every Pregnancy. This is why saving women during childbirth is not only a health priority, but also a clear development and economic […]

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Beauty Without Burden: Why Nigeria Must Keep Lead Out of Cosmetics

Habibat Lawal Ohunene and Chinwendu Iroegbu (Lead writers) Across Nigeria, beauty products are part of everyday life. A woman might buy eyeliner from an open market, body cream from a neighbourhood chemist, powder from an online vendor, or a so-called “organic” mixture from a beauty seller recommended by a friend. For many families, products such […]

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Articles

Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir Injection for HIV Prevention in Nigeria: The Real Test Is Access

Uche Kennedy and Sunday Oko (Lead writers) On 14 July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidelines recommending twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention. In large trials, twice-yearly lenacapavir delivered near-complete protection against HIV, including zero infections in one major study and very few in another. […]

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How FOR M(om) is Pushing for Safer Medical Waste Management in Kano Hospitals

Mahdi Garba (Lead writer) Ogwuche Thomas works as a facility manager at EHA Clinic, a private health clinic in Kano State. His job entails managing healthcare waste and keeping the hospital clean for the safety of health workers and patients who come to access care. Ogwuche was excited when the Kano Private Health Institutions Management […]

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How “Healthy Mama, Healthy Pikin” Is Using PHC Immunisation Days to Improve Child Feeding in Ebonyi

Tzar Oluigbo (Lead writer) On routine immunisation days, parents gather at primary health care (PHC) facilities across Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, for routine immunisation for their children. Many now leave with more than vaccines; they leave with practical nutrition skills. They also learn how to feed children better using familiar staples such as rice, maize, and […]

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West Africa Takes Historic Step Toward Lassa Fever Vaccine Access with Launch of First End-to-End Roadmap

West Africa has today, 3rd February 2026, marked a major milestone in regional health security with the official launch of the Lassa Fever End-to-End (E2E) Access Roadmap for West Africa, a first-of-its-kind, regionally-led framework designed to ensure equitable access to safe and effective Lassa fever vaccines once they become available. The roadmap was developed with […]

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Global Health in a New Era: Making Sustainability a Political Choice

Yasir Jamal Bakare (Lead writer) Global health is undergoing a period of adjustment as ambitions are reassessed in light of current economic and geopolitical conditions, with greater attention to fiscal and political realities. For years, the health sector has been driven by bold declarations and ambitious targets, while assuming that global solidarity would close financing […]

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World Cancer Day 2026: Prevention Is Where “United by Unique” Becomes Real

Prudence Enema and Chinwendu Iroegbu (Lead writers) Dr Aisha Mustapha had spent years carrying out cervical examinations, counselling women, and caring for patients with cancer. Trained in gynaecology, public health, and radiotherapy, she understood cervical cancer in detail; how it begins, how it progresses, and how early detection and treatment can save lives. What she […]

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“Things have improved”: How Kaduna’s Badarawa PHC Won Back Community Trust

From neglect to progress is how residents of Badarawa in Kaduna describe the community’s health facility. Once avoided due to poor conditions, Badarawa Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) is now attracting more patients daily, signalling a renewed trust in public healthcare delivery among families in Kaduna North. Rukkaya Aminu, a mother accessing care at the facility, […]

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Bunkure Women Embrace Budget-Friendly Meals After Nutrition Training

When 28-year-old Hauwa’u Aminu Sarki attended a literacy club session at the Bunkure PHC, her perception of nutrition changed. “I used to think I couldn’t afford a balanced meal,” she shared. “Now I know I can prepare nutritious food using beans, grains, and vegetables I already have at home.” For many women in Bunkure, Kano […]

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Private Sector Financing is Key to Improved Maternal Care in Nigeria

Maureen Moneke and Adanna Opara (Lead writers) Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden remains unacceptably high and points to persistent gaps in access to timely, quality maternity care. Despite financing reforms such as the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and Direct Facility Financing (DFF), maternal deaths remain high, estimated at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births. […]

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Turning Big Catch-Up Gains into PHC Practice: The Accountability Test for Nigeria’s Immunisation Plans

Chidinma Peace Ahunam and Chisom Obi-Jeff (Guest writers) In Nigeria, many children miss routine immunisation not because they are “hard to find”, but because services do not consistently reach them. In 2023, about 2.1 million children missed key routine doses, and in 2024, only 39% of children aged 12–23 months were recorded as fully immunised. […]

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Count Us In: Ending Sexual Abuse of People with Disabilities in Nigeria

Sunday Oko and Precious Ajayi (Lead writers) When Amina (not her real name), 15, began vomiting and complaining of stomach pain, her mother’s first thought was that it was an infection. Amina has a developmental disability and communicates with difficulty. At the hospital, they learnt what they never expected. Amina was pregnant. She could not […]

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From Symptoms to Same-Day Action: Insights on Sweat-Based TB Screening from Dr Olufemi Adewole

Zubaida Baba Ibrahim (Lead writer) Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. The sweat-based strip described below is a prototype intended for screening and does not replace confirmatory tuberculosis testing or drug-resistance assessment. The Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 lists Nigeria among eight countries that together accounted for about two-thirds of […]

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Our Projects

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Global Policy Advocacy Project

(Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, May 2024 – Present) Project Overview Nigeria faces profound and persistent public health challenges, from high maternal and childmortality to fragile primary healthcare infrastructure, the burden of infectious disease, and therising tide of non-communicable conditions. Against this backdrop, Nigeria Health Watch’sGlobal Policy Advocacy Project represents a sustained, […]

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Maternal Health Advocacy and Communications Project

(Funder: MSD for Mothers) The Maternal Health Advocacy and Communications project funded by MSD for Mothers was launched in 2018 as a strategic initiative to address Nigeria’s maternal health challenges. The project, which is co-implemented by Nigeria Health Watch and ACIOE Foundation with funding from MSD for Mothers, has broadened its objectives and targets key […]

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Lassa Fever Research & Development – Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Health Watch project

(Funder: Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, CEPI) Working in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC), CEPI seeks to enhance the ease of vaccine development and introduction in the region. A critical component of this effort involves supporting ECOWAS-RCSDC to effectively communicate, coordinate, and […]

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Project Amplify Lead Poisoning Prevention in Nigeria

Funder: Resolve to Save Lives Project Amplify Lead Poisoning Prevention in Nigeria is a catalytic 12-month initiative tackling the “silent threat” of lead exposure in consumer products like paints, food, and cosmetics. While lead poisoning is a serious, often overlooked public health challenge affecting millions of Nigerian families, Project Amplify implemented in partnership with Resolve […]

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Bridging Borders, Breaking Blindness

Funder: Global Institute for Disease Elimination Bridging Borders, Breaking Blindness is a 12-month initiative implemented by Nigeria Health Watch and funded by GLIDE. Operating in Kaduna and Cross River States, it aims to accelerate onchocerciasis elimination by integrating efforts with malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and WASH programs. The project utilizes community-led advocacy via established Hubs, the […]

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25+ Years Of Experience

Who We Are

Nigeria Health Watch is a division of the Health Watch Foundation, a leading not for profit organisation dedicated to advancing health outcomes in Nigeria. The organisation combines deep expertise in health and strategic communications to drive evidence based advocacy, strengthen the capacity of health sector institutions, and influence policy for impact.

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Our Mission

A well informed and empowered population advocating for improved health.

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Our Vision

To provide communities,organisations and governments with the tools

What People Say About us

If Nigeria Health Watch has inspired you, informed your work, or made an impact in your community, please take a moment to share a short testimonial about your experience. Your words help us tell the story of our impact and inspire others to join our mission for a healthier Nigeria.

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Nigeria Health Watch is a critical component of the work we do at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention towards protecting the health of Nigerians. NHW continues to amplify the work being done at NCDC as well as nationwide towards strengthening health security and advancing healthcare in Nigeria. We are grateful for our partnership and your continued advocacy for improved funding for epidemic preparedness and especially support towards risk communications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa

Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa

Former DG, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control

I have had the honour of working with Nigeria Health Watch for over 5 years and have witnessed the exponential growth and reach of the platform. As a health leader and cancer advocate, I value the importance of accurate data and information. With Nigeria Health Watch, I am always assured of.

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu

MD/CEO Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics & Clinics

Nigeria Health Watch is a powerful voice for healthcare development in Africa. Through solutions-based journalism, creative storytelling, and policy advocacy, they continue to transform the way healthcare is reported, discussed, and perceived by everyone, particularly policymakers. The energy and professionalism they bring to projects are unmatched and I can attest that they have closed a longstanding gap in health communications in Nigeria.

Dr. Oyebanji Filani

Dr. Oyebanji Filani

Commissioner, Health & Human Services Ekiti State at Government of Ekiti State

Reliable information is essential to improving health care, and Nigeria Health Watch plays a key role in delivering it. Through surveys, analysis, field reporting, and solutions-based journalism, it consistently produces insights grounded in everyday realities that inform improvements in health services and outcomes. All of this is driven by its skilled and innovative team, whose work is increasingly recognised across the continent and beyond

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Dickens Olewe

Program Officer, Gates Foundation

Our partnership with Nigeria Health Watch has been instrumental in advancing Africa’s voice in global public health discourse. Through strategic collaboration on platforms such as the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) and across digital media, they bring a distinctive strength in translating complex health challenges into compelling, human-centered narratives that drive both engagement and action

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Dr Githinji Gitahi

Group CEO, Amref Health Africa

MSD for Mothers has collaborated with Nigeria Health Watch since 2018. What is most exciting about working with Nigeria Health Watch is their ability to connect the dots across public health actors and themes — linking the lived experiences of people with the healthcare workers delivering care, the health innovators designing solutions to bridge gaps, and governments at all levels that set standards of care, create enabling policy environments, and serve as the primary purchasers of healthcare through state insurance and contributory health schemes.

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Iyadunni Olubode

Lead of Kenya & Nigeria Programs, MSD for Mothers

Working with Nigeria Health Watch has been an absolute pleasure. Across two consecutive conferences, their team has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, genuine passion, and a tireless commitment to going above and beyond. They made every aspect of our partnership seamless and stress-free. Their dedication to delivering impactful, high-quality coverage speaks for itself, and I look forward to continuing this partnership at many more conferences to come

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Winnie Kariuki

Global Health Strategies Associate, Kenya