The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, on Friday, in Lagos, launched the one million newborn screening campaign, themed “Every Baby Deserves a Healthy Start in Life: Advancing Early Detection” to be executed by ISN Medical and its partner, Revvity.
Pate stated that the initiative is timely and firmly grounded in evidence and fully aligned with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s health sector reform agenda.
The minister, represented by the Director, Child Health of the ministry, Dr Amina Mohammed, said that the data and outcomes generated through newborn screening will strengthen Nigeria’s evidence base and directly support the implementation of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) by improving child survival indicators, strengthening health information systems, and promoting data-driven decision-making.
“It also complements the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) by demonstrating the principles of one plan, one budget, one report, one conversation, and one voice, ensuring that newborn screening becomes an integrated component of national maternal, newborn, and child health programming rather than a stand-alone intervention.
“Furthermore, this initiative strongly supports the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) by enabling early identification and management of congenital conditions that contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality, thereby improving newborn survival and long-term developmental outcomes.
“These alignments present a unique opportunity for partners to work collaboratively with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to institutionalize newborn screening as an essential component of quality newborn care and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage.”
