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Nigeria Cannot Prevent the Next Outbreak if It Cannot Diagnose It
Shalom David and Vivianne Ihekweazu (Lead writers) In late 2013, Ebola began spreading in Guinea, but the outbreak went undetected for more than three months. Patients arriving at the health facilities presented with fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, symptoms that closely resembled malaria, typhoid, or cholera. Without the diagnostic tools needed to identify the virus, clinicians […]
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Curated Conversations: Moji Makanjuola on Building Public Trust Through Health Journalism
Public trust in health systems is established when people receive clear, consistent, and credible information from trusted voices, not just from policy documents. It is built when communities understand what a health intervention means for them, why it matters, where to access services, and what questions to ask when promises are made. For Chief Mrs […]
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Beyond Awareness: Why Nigeria Must Fund a Period-Friendly Future
Every year on 28 May, Nigeria joins the global community to observe Menstrual Hygiene Day and its goal of building a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, where menstruation does not limit dignity, health, education, or opportunities. In 2025, the global campaign reached 971 million people, demonstrating how menstrual health has shifted from silence to a widespread public discussion. But […]
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The Anatomy of an Outbreak in a Conflict Setting & Nigeria’s Preparedness for Ebola
The latest Ebola outbreak in DRC is unfolding in a conflict-affected region where insecurity, displacement, and fragile trust are complicating containment efforts. What does this reveal about Nigeria's preparedness for outbreaks in its own most challenging settings? When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic...
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Africa’s Precision Medicine Future Depends on Stronger Research and Clinical Trial Systems
Olatunde Olaoluwa and Prudence Enema (Lead writers) Precision medicine will not deliver equity for Africa if Africa remains underrepresented in the evidence that shapes it. The endorsement of a new resolution on Precision Medicine at the 79th World Health Assembly reflects an important step towards health equity and Universal Health...
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‘Garden in a Box’ Initiative is Helping Pregnant Women Eat Nutritious Food While Building Self-Reliance Through Gardening
Tzar Oluigbo (Lead writer) Tola (not real name) did not expect much when she first received the small white box with a bunch of biodegradable seed sheets neatly tucked inside. Yet, the spinach, beetroots, and tomatoes she planted sprouted within weeks. For the first time in months, she could pick...
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“Deliver Like the Hebrew Women”: How Traditional Myths and Religious Misconceptions Fuel Maternal and Child Deaths
Dr Otubo Victor Ogemdi* and Vivianne Ihekweazu (Lead writers) Sarah lived in Abuja. Ruth lived in Tel Aviv. Both were young, first-time expectant mothers. Both were filled with as much hope as anxiety as their due dates approached. Sarah had the support of her elderly mum and her pastor; “You...
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How the Enable Study Is Building Clinical Trial Capacity and Epidemic Readiness in Bauchi State
Lassa fever remains a persistent regional threat For over fifty years, Lassa fever has remained one of West Africa’s most persistent epidemic threats. First identified in Nigeria in 1969, the disease is now endemic across countries in the region, including Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Benin, Ghana and Mali. Yet,...
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One Vision, One Future: Why Africa’s Health Financing Is a Global Reset
Health financing has long shaped whether universal health coverage remains an ambition or becomes a reality. Across many African countries, governments are still spending far below what is needed to provide essential health services to their citizens, leaving them vulnerable to shifts in external funding and competing national priorities. This...
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The Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Shows Why Preparedness Cannot Wait
“As we scale up our detection and response, we expect to see more cases initially before the curve begins to go down” These were the words of Prof Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, speaking at the latest WHO press briefing on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic...
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Beyond Emergency Response: Strengthening Nigeria’s Health Communication Infrastructure
Earlier this month, anxiety over the hantavirus outbreak spread quickly across Nigerian social media after a popular influencer’s verified X account falsely claimed that Nigeria had confirmed a second case of the virus. The post, amplified alongside memes, forwarded voice notes, and unverified screenshots, attracted more than 200,000 views and...
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Drug Shortage at Jere PHC in Kaduna Leaves Patients with Chronic Illnesses Without Medication
Rabi Mustapha Every visit to the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Jere community now comes with uncertainty for patients under the Kaduna State Contributory Health Scheme (KSCHS), who go to seek medical care but return home without the medicines they desperately need. For patients with chronic illnesses who depend on...
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Lessons from the 2026 HFN Conference on Innovation, Financing and Universal Health Coverage
Nigeria’s journey towards universal health coverage (UHC) cannot be achieved by the government or the private sector alone. The more critical question is how Nigeria can bring both parties together within a more disciplined framework of funding, regulation, data, quality, innovation, and accountability. That was the central message from the...
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Community-Owned Hand-Pump Wells Are Bringing Safer Water Closer to Villages in Rural Kaduna
Chinonso Kenneth (Lead writer) For years, residents of Mararaba Kajuru, a small community in Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, relied on local streams and unprotected wells as their main water sources. “We got our water from local wells and nearby streams, which was very difficult, especially during...
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First Call, First Care: Why Nigeria Must Protect the Nurses Who Protect Us
Damilola Ilori and Tosin Emejor (Lead writers) “Go and call Aunty Nurse.” In many Nigerian households, this phrase evokes both fear and relief. It is used when a child’s fever spikes, a pregnant woman senses something is wrong, a wound needs dressing, or an elderly parent has high blood pressure....
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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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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
Former DG, Nigeria Centre for Disease ControlI 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.
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MD/CEO Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics & ClinicsNigeria 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.
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Commissioner, Health & Human Services Ekiti State at Government of Ekiti StateReliable 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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Program Officer, Gates FoundationOur 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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Group CEO, Amref Health AfricaMSD 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.
Iyadunni Olubode
Lead of Kenya & Nigeria Programs, MSD for MothersWorking 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