Recognise anyone?👀 Before #FHC2026 takes centre stage, we're opening the archives. This video takes us back to 2015, when some of Nigeria's leading health thinkers came together to imagine a different future for healthcare. Watch closely, tag someone you spot, and stay tuned.

“Accountability is not something people do from the goodness of their heart. Accountability is something you demand” - @Chikwe_I at the 1st Future of Health Conference in 2015. 11 years later, we continue to demand for better healthcare. We are gearing up for the 11th edition of the conference this October. Partner with us #FHC2026 x.com/nighealthwatch/status/…

Nigeria's proposed sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax reform has reached an important milestone. What does this mean, why was the change proposed, and what happens next? Swipe through for a simple breakdown of this Pro-Health Tax Bill. 👇🏾 #HealthTaxesNG

Capturing the informal sector is very critical.Great insights from Dr Oyeneyin, host of the maiden summit of CEOs of state health health insuranace agencies. Nigeria Health Watch is supporting as the knowledge and strategic communications partner.

Following the maiden Summit, what is the most important action states must take in the next two years to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria? We spoke with the Host, Executive Secretary of the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Abiodun Oyeneyin, who shares key priorities for strengthening state health insurance systems and expanding coverage for citizens. #HealthForAllNG

Every maternal death is a tragedy, especially when it can be prevented. Postpartum haemorrhage remains a leading cause of maternal mortality, but innovations like the E-MOTIVE bundle are helping health workers detect excessive bleeding earlier, respond rapidly with proven interventions, and save more mothers' lives when every minute counts. At our side event during #WHXLagos2026, Mrs Solademi Idowu, Registered Nurse and Midwife at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, shares how E-MOTIVE is strengthening maternal care and improving outcomes for women and families, while ensuring mothers receive compassionate care throughout their journey. @gatesfoundation @Gates_Nigeria @GatesAfrica @world_midwives @LSMOH @SanjanaA_Dr @endPPH @alignmnh @WHO @WHONigeria @SCIDaR_ @_mdoc #GivingBirthInNigeria #EndMarternalMortality

In support of DRC and neighbouring countries, this plan brings together the partners working to control & end this #Ebola outbreak From here in Bunia #DRC, we are already together and focused on supporting communities as quickly as possible

We never work alone In service of the people & government of #DRC, in a community-owned #Ebola response, I met w/ @WHO partners in Bunia to ensure essential health services are maintained throughout & when this outbreak ends, we leave behind stronger systems than those we found

This insightful session was moderated by @Pingelsisa, our Director of Advocacy and Partnerships, who closed the discussion with a powerful call to action. Maternal health outcomes will not improve solely through innovation. Citizens must also demand accountability. As election season approaches, communities should ask candidates direct questions: What is your plan for the PHC in my area? How will you support trained midwives? What investments will you make in EMRs, essential commodities, and proven interventions that save mothers' lives? Because moving from pilot to scale requires not only evidence, but political will. #GivingBirthInNigeria #WHXLagos2026

Dr Jaiyeola identified commodity security as one of the biggest barriers to sustainable scale. Training health workers is important, but if essential supplies and medicines are unavailable when women need them, the benefits of innovation are lost. He also emphasised the need for state ownership, stronger primary healthcare implementation, interoperable digital health systems, and sustained political commitment to maternal health. His key takeaway: innovation alone does not save lives. Lasting impact comes when governments invest in the people, policies, financing, and supply chains needed to move successful pilots into routine practice at scale. #GivingBirthInNigeria

Dr Ume Akunna, Deputy Medical Director at Orchid Road General Hospital, shared a clinician’s perspective on what it takes to successfully adopt maternal health innovations. She reflected on how postpartum blood loss was once assessed largely through visual estimation, making it difficult to accurately identify women at risk. The introduction of calibrated drapes changed this by enabling objective measurement from the moment of delivery and strengthening clinical decision-making. #GivingBirthInNigeria

She also highlighted how the E-MOTIVE bundle and calibrated blood-loss drapes have transformed postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) management at her facility. She noted that since adopting these tools, the facility has not recorded a maternal death from PPH. However, she emphasised that innovation must be matched with infrastructure investment, as overcrowding and limited ward space continue to strain service delivery. #GivingBirthInNigeria

On innovation, she highlighted how electronic records made lab results easily accessible to clinicians, and how a hospital WhatsApp group became a key support tool, enabling peer learning, provider engagement, and private escalation of sensitive questions. She also had access to phone consultations, which improved continuity of care. However, she raised a concern about long waiting times due to high patient load, driven by overcrowding and limited trust in primary health care. #GivingBirthInNigeria

Mrs Solademi Idowu, Registered Nurse and Midwife, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, spoke from the perspective of a frontline midwife managing the daily realities of maternal care delivery in a high-volume public facility, where workforce pressure and space constraints shape everyday clinical decisions. She described persistent bed shortages, with a delivery ward designed for six beds routinely accommodating eight or more patients. Post-delivery recovery beds are often used for active labour, and in some cases, deliveries occur on them due to a lack of space. Despite this, patients are never turned away, leaving staff to manage rising demand with limited resources. #GivingBirthInNigeria

Mrs Unwana Billy shared her lived experience as an expectant mother receiving Antenatal Care at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, offering a patient-centred lens on how innovation and system realities shape care in practice. From her first visit, she described a welcoming experience from nurses, the use of digital blood pressure machines, and structured health education covering nutrition in pregnancy, birth preparedness, kangaroo mother care, cord care, and immunisation. She also noted generally positive interactions with doctors and nurses who remained approachable throughout her visits. #GivingBirthInNigeria

How do we design solutions that truly support every mother across the pregnancy journey? The panel session at our side event at #WHXLagos2026 explored existing maternal health innovations, lived experiences of expectant mothers, and the perspectives of healthcare workers across the continuum of care, highlighting actionable insights for strengthening systems through better care models, stronger service delivery, and context-driven innovation. #GivingBirthInNigeria

"The innovations exist. The programmes are in place. The question is how we move from pilot projects and parallel solutions to full system integration." @VIhekweazu emphasises that the challenge is no longer the availability of innovation, but ensuring that solutions are usable, integrated into health systems, and able to improve outcomes for every mother. #GivingBirthInNigeria #WHXLagos

"Nigeria accounts for nearly one-third of global maternal deaths. These are not just statistics. They represent mothers, daughters, sisters, aunties, and nieces." @VIhekweazu highlights that while maternal health innovations continue to emerge, many operate in parallel to existing systems, limiting their sustainability, adoption, and scale. #GivingBirthInNigeria #WHXLagos

"It is not just about selling state-of-the-art health equipment. It is about strengthening the health systems that equipment is meant to serve." Our Managing Director, @VIhekweazu, setting the context for today's discussion on designing maternal health solutions that work across the pregnancy journey. #GivingBirthInNigeria

Maternal health innovations already exist, but innovation alone will not reduce maternal mortality. Solutions must be designed to work within the realities of our health system, integrated into the care women receive, and scaled to reach those who need them most.