Barnawa PHC’s Renovation Improves Care, but Growing Patient Demand Strains Services
Margaret Zichat The revitalisation of Barnawa Primary Healthcare (PHC) has given the facility a new life, attracting more patients and improving the delivery of essential health services. “Before now there was a huge cry from the community. Thankfully, through the Chairman of Kaduna South Local Government Area (LGA), relief materials were provided for the facility […]
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Funding Cuts to Women’s Organisations Put Women, Girls and Gender Equality at Risk
For thousands of girls forced to leave school because of child marriage or adolescent pregnancy, Her Voice Foundation, a Nigerian-based non-profit, has offered a second chance to return to school, gain skills and build economic independence. However, as funding crisis disproportionately hits women-led and women-focused organisations, Favour Abatang, the founder of the foundation, explained that […]
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Free Emergency Obstetric Care is Easing the Cost of Childbirth Complications in Bauchi
Talatu had waited months to welcome her daughter Fatsima’s first child. But after Fatsima went into labour, she had a seizure on the way to the hospital. The family arrived at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Azare, Bauchi, around midnight. Doctors diagnosed Fatsima with eclampsia, a life-threatening complication of pregnancy characterised […]
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The Long Life We Wished For: Can Older Nigerians Get the Care They Need?
Beti Baiye (Guest Writer) LLNP, or Long Life and Prosperity, is a common birthday wish expressing hope for a long, fulfilling life. However, given that Nigeria’s life expectancy at birth ranks among the lowest globally, we need to ask if we are building a health system that helps people reach...
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Ending River Blindness in Kaduna Means Reaching Those Left Behind
At a recent policy dialogue on river blindness, held in Kaduna and convened by Nigeria Health Watch and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, a local government Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) officer described a familiar problem. Community drug distributors (CDDs) arrive during the farming season, when some residents are away...
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World Heart Day: Nigeria can bring sickle cell care closer to children
Jagat Narula and Bente Mikkelsen (Guest writers) Last week at the United Nations, the Governments of Nigeria and Uganda, with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Africa CDC, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the World Coalition on Sickle Cell Disease, launched OneSCD, the first global partnership dedicated to sickle...
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Yobe’s Free Ambulance Service Is Tackling Delays in Maternal Emergencies
Yahuza Bawage (Lead writer) At 6:27 a.m. on a Saturday, the emergency phone rang at the Yobe State Emergency Medical Ambulance Services Agency (YEMABUS) headquarters along Gujba Road in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State. On the line was 41-year-old Aisha calling from a community on the outskirts of Damaturu....
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World Contraception Day: A Safe Start Begins Long Before Birth
Marie Ba and Dr Alain Damiba (Guest writers) On 31 October, Dakar will open the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic sporting event ever held in Africa. When young athletes enter the arena, most spectators will see only the final moment, the race, the jump, the bout or the...
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Revitalised Ungwan Dosa PHC Still Faces Access Gaps
Rabi Mustapha Pregnant women in Ungwan Dosa, Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State, are experiencing improved healthcare services following the revitalisation of their primary healthcare centre. However, a deteriorating access road and the absence of a scanning machine continue to threaten timely and quality care, particularly for pregnant...
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Real-Time Patient Feedback Is Helping Shape Safer and Better Maternity Care
At Sango Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Lagos, Dorathy Ochenehi, the senior nursing officer, leans toward a new mother, gently guiding her through one final step before she leaves the facility. “Please, help us scan this and drop your review,” she said to the patient, pointing to a small QR...
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The Real Test of Nigeria’s Health Reforms Is Whether PHCs Actually Work
A newly renovated primary health care (PHC) centre can still fail a woman who arrives at 2 a.m. If there is no midwife on duty, no oxytocin, no reliable electricity, and no referral transport, the renovation is an infrastructure improvement, not yet a functioning health service. This distinction sat at...
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Niger State’s PHCs Are Screening Beyond TB. Can the Model Last?
Uche Ralph-Opara and Kenneth Ojobor (Guest writers) Zariya Hashiru was pregnant when she was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in the Napu community, Niger State. She feared that the medicines would harm her unborn baby. Diagnosing the disease was therefore only the first step. Health workers counselled and followed up with...
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Nigeria Needs a Stronger Evidence System to Track Progress Towards Universal Health Coverage
Yasir Jamal Bakare and Toluwani Oluwatola (Lead writers) The National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) announced in July 2026 that enrolment had reached 22.03 million people. For nearly two decades under the National Health Insurance Scheme, coverage remained below 5%of the population. Image Credit: Nigeria Health Watch Yet, as coverage grows, a different...
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‘We Can’t Take Deliveries’: Shongo Hamma Health Post Leaves Pregnant Women Without Maternal Care in Gombe’s Akko Community
A building may be fit for purpose, but without the equipment, utilities and services needed to function, it offers little promise to the thousands who depend on it. This is the reality of Shongo Hamma Health Post in Akko Local Government Area (LGA) in Gombe State. For many women in...
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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.
Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu
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.
Dr. Oyebanji Filani
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
Dickens Olewe
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
Dr Githinji Gitahi
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
Winnie Kariuki
Global Health Strategies Associate, KenyaNigeria Health Watch has done what few organisations achieve — they made citizen voices drive real policy change in Kano State. Their evidence-driven approach, combining community scorecards, town halls, and health storytelling, has transformed how we listen to citizens and respond to their needs. From deploying healthcare workers to increased enrollment of vulnerable people into health insurance, their community engagement model has delivered results that speak for themselves.
Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf
Commissioner for Health, Kano StateWillow Health Media Initiative has built a strong partnership with Nigeria Health Watch, marked by professionalism, effective coordination, and stakeholder engagement. In 2025, we collaborated to convene a webinar and hybrid roundtable in Kenya on Africa’s health financing landscape, bringing together diverse stakeholders across the continent. Nigeria Health Watch’s ability to convene influential voices added immense value to advancing critical conversations on sustainable health financing and health system strengthening in Africa.
Dr. Mercy Korir
Co-Founder, CEO & Editor-In-Chief, Willow Health Media InitiativeI have worked with Nigeria Health Watch as our in-country partner for the malaria sub-national tailoring Exemplars project. They have impressed me with their ability to learn quickly, to collaborate, to innovate, and to deliver high quality work on time. I have also learned from them the value of structured advocacy in supporting Nigeria to develop evidence-informed malaria strategies
Professor Abdisalan Noor
Executive Director, AHADI, Visiting Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthThrough the years of partnership and as part of Nigeria Health Watch's pioneering journey, I experienced Nigeria Health Watch work with communities, thought leaders, policy makers, and health development actors within the private and public sector as advocates for stronger, well-resourced health systems and actionable health policies. To achieve this, Nigeria Health Watch continues to ensure citizens voices are amplified through evidence informed story-telling while providing a platform for dialogue, research and sharing innovative ideas that help improve health outcomes in Nigeria and on the African continent
Nanlop Ogbureke
Executive Director, Resolve to Save Lives in NigeriaNigeria Health Watch brings a refreshing look and attitude to health communication, strategic storytelling, and advocacy. With a strong online presence, Nigeria Health Watch acts as a bridge between policies and community awareness and engagement through thought leadership