Grand Challenges Nigeria Backs Eight Homegrown Innovations to Improve Maternal and Child Healthcare
Eight homegrown health innovations designed to improve the health of pregnant women, newborns and children will be showcased at a national health innovation meeting in Abuja on November 13, 2026. The initiative, supported by Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg), is meant to show how local research and technology can address some of the country's most persistent healthcare challenges.
The event is being organised by Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) in partnership with Grand Challenges Nigeria. It will bring together researchers, state government representatives, healthcare institutions, development partners and funding organisations to discuss how locally developed solutions can improve healthcare delivery across the country.
The innovations target some of the health problems that continue to put mothers and children at risk. They include newborn infections, pregnancy complications, birth defects, difficulties with emergency maternal referrals and inadequate access to digital healthcare services.
The meeting carries the theme, "Innovation to Impact: Evidence, Adoption, Uptake and Scale for Better Health in Nigeria." Its central objective is to explore how promising research can move beyond laboratories and pilot projects into practical healthcare services.
Eight Innovations Addressing Major Healthcare Challenges
The eight projects supported by Grand Challenges Nigeria focus on different aspects of maternal, newborn and child healthcare. They cover the following areas:
- Diagnosis of newborn sepsis
- Umbilical cord care
- Community-supported digital healthcare
- Emergency maternal referrals
- Birth-defect identification
- Perinatal asphyxia research
- Digital risk support
- Prediction of severe pre-eclampsia
One of the areas is the diagnosis of newborn sepsis. Sepsis is a serious condition that occurs when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs. In newborn babies, it can develop quickly and become life-threatening if not identified and treated early.
Innovations that improve the early detection of newborn infections could help healthcare workers identify at-risk babies and begin appropriate treatment sooner.
Another project focuses on umbilical cord care. Proper care of a newborn's umbilical cord is important because infections can develop around the cord stump. Such infections can become dangerous, particularly where access to healthcare is limited.
The projects also include community-supported digital healthcare. Digital health solutions can help connect patients, community health workers and medical professionals. They can support health education, referrals, follow-ups and access to relevant medical information.
Emergency maternal referrals are another area of focus. Pregnant women sometimes experience complications that require urgent medical attention. A reliable referral system can help connect women in need of specialised care with facilities equipped to handle emergencies.
Perinatal asphyxia occurs when a baby does not receive enough oxygen around the time of birth. It can result in serious complications, including brain injury. Research in this area could contribute to better identification, prevention and management of related complications.
Severe pre-eclampsia is another major concern. It is a pregnancy complication associated with high blood pressure and signs of damage to organs such as the kidneys or liver. Early identification of women at risk can help healthcare professionals make timely decisions about monitoring and treatment.
Although the eight projects address different problems, they share a common objective: improving health outcomes through locally developed research and innovation.
Why Nigeria Needs Homegrown Healthcare Innovations
Nigeria faces several challenges in delivering quality maternal and child healthcare. These include:
- Unequal access to health facilities
- Shortages of trained healthcare professionals
- Inadequate medical equipment and
- Financial barriers to accessing treatment.
These challenges are particularly serious in rural and underserved communities. Some pregnant women must travel long distances to reach health facilities. Others depend on primary healthcare centres that may lack the equipment or personnel needed to manage complicated cases.
Newborns also face risks when infections and other medical conditions are not identified early. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can have serious consequences.
Homegrown innovations offer an opportunity to develop solutions that respond to these realities.
Researchers working in Nigeria understand many of the challenges facing local communities. They can develop tools and approaches that consider the country's healthcare infrastructure, available resources, cultural practices and geographical conditions.
For example, a digital referral system designed for Nigeria should consider areas with unreliable internet connections. A maternal health monitoring tool should also be practical for healthcare workers who manage several patients with limited resources.
This does not mean that every local innovation will automatically succeed. Each solution must be properly tested to establish its safety, effectiveness and suitability for wider use.
However, supporting Nigerian researchers, as Grand Challenges Nigeria does, can strengthen the country's ability to address its healthcare problems through evidence-based solutions.
The Role of State Governments in Improving Healthcare
The involvement of Nigeria Governors' Forum is significant because state governments play an important role in delivering healthcare services.
Many primary healthcare facilities operate under state and local government structures. State governments also influence health budgets, staffing, infrastructure development and the implementation of healthcare programmes.
As a result, innovations that are developed through research need the support of state institutions to reach the people who need them.
A successful maternal health intervention in one community may offer useful lessons for other states. However, expanding it requires proper planning, funding, trained personnel and the necessary infrastructure.
The November 13 meeting will provide an opportunity for state governments to examine the innovations and discuss how they could be integrated into existing healthcare systems.
It will also encourage states to learn from one another. An approach that has produced positive results in one location may provide useful insights for another state facing similar challenges.
The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, will also contribute a Policy Lab to examine the institutional decisions and policy frameworks needed to translate research into practical interventions.
What Is Grand Challenges Nigeria?
Grand Challenges Nigeria is a national platform established to support Nigerian-led research and innovation.
It was officially launched on November 18, 2024, by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima. The initiative supports research in areas such as health, food security, nutrition, agriculture, science and technology.
The platform is anchored by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and operates in partnership with the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Its approach is based on supporting researchers and innovators who are developing solutions to important development challenges.
The eight maternal and child health projects scheduled for presentation in Abuja are part of these efforts to encourage locally driven healthcare innovation.
The Challenge of Moving Research into Practice
Developing an innovative healthcare solution is only the beginning. The bigger challenge is ensuring that it reaches hospitals, primary healthcare centres and communities.
Nigeria has researchers and institutions working on different health problems. However, promising research does not always translate into practical improvements in healthcare delivery.
Some projects struggle to secure funding after their initial research stages. Others face difficulties obtaining regulatory approval, building partnerships or securing the institutional support needed for wider implementation.
Cost is another concern. An innovation may produce good results during a research project but become difficult to maintain when expanded across several communities or states.
There is also the question of training. Healthcare workers must understand how to use new tools and integrate them into their daily activities.
These are some of the issues the November meeting is expected to address. Discussions will focus on research evidence, policy support, financing, adoption and opportunities to expand successful interventions.
Showcasing an innovation does not mean it has already been approved for nationwide use. The organisers have clarified that participation in the event does not guarantee funding or adoption. Each project must still meet the necessary requirements before wider implementation can be considered.
What This Means for Nigerian Mothers and Children
The success of the Grand Challenges Nigeria projects should ultimately be measured by their impact on ordinary Nigerians.
For a pregnant woman in a rural community, a better emergency referral system could mean faster access to appropriate medical care. For a newborn baby, improved infection detection could support earlier treatment. For healthcare workers, practical digital tools could make patient monitoring and follow-up easier.
These improvements matter because maternal and child healthcare affects families, communities and the country's future workforce.
Nigeria needs more investment in research, but it also needs stronger connections between researchers, healthcare institutions and the communities they serve.
The eight innovations provide an opportunity to examine how Nigerian research can contribute to solving real healthcare problems.
The next important step is implementation. State governments, research institutions, development partners and healthcare professionals must work together to establish which solutions are effective, affordable and suitable for expansion.
If properly tested, funded and implemented, locally developed health innovations could help improve access to care and strengthen Nigeria's healthcare system.
For Nigerian mothers and children, the real achievement will not be the number of innovations showcased at a conference. It will be the number of lives improved through solutions that work.
