Health
GE, SHOFCO in $25,000 partnership to Help Expectant Mothers, Babies
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership has been entered into between General Electric and a charity organisation known as Shining Hope for Communities Organization (SHOFCO) on a new maternal and infant care initiative aimed at increasing access to pre-natal screenings for expectant mothers in Kibera, believed to be the largest urban slum in Africa with an estimated 700,000 inhabitants.
A statement by GE explained that under the $25,000 partnership, GE Healthcare will provide hand-held ultrasound, training and advisory support to help SHOFCO’s mission to mobilize mothers to seek pre-natal screenings. Twenty-four SHOFCO nurses and clinical officers have each received over 40 hours of training.
Among the subsidized technologies provided is GE’s hand-held ultrasound device, designed to help primary health workers conduct examinations that may result in the earlier detection of potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications.
Slum dwellers lack access to quality healthcare infrastructure and are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and malnutrition amongst children.
Maternal and child mortality rates are about 50% higher than the national average, with an under-five mortality rate of 64 in every 1,000 live births. A lack of access to proper care during and immediately after delivery contributes to high mother and child mortality.
“Through a range of initiatives across the continent, GE is proud to support better outcomes for mothers and babies across Africa,” said Andrew Waititu, General Manager, GE Healthcare East Africa, during an event in Nairobi to celebrate GE and SHOFCO’s partnership. “We are firmly committed to serving as a partner in the development of healthcare in Kenya and are humbled to contribute in expanding SHOFCO’s capabilities and reach in the community where it is needed most.”
“Most of the health facilities available in the slums lack appropriate equipment to deal with prenatal and maternal health emergencies, in addition to a shortage of skilled personnel needed to provide emergency obstetric care.
“This solution, to be deployed at SHOFCO’s Subra and Makina satellite clinics, will help in reducing unnecessary referrals and decongesting the main health facility in Kibera.” said Kennedy Odede CEO and Co-founder of SHOFCO. “Through this program, expectant mothers will have access to ultrasound scanning before 24 weeks of gestation, that according to guidelines, assists clinicians in better estimating gestational age, improve detection of fetal anomalies and overall, help us improve a woman’s pregnancy experience.”
“We are grateful to GE for their support in helping us expand our services to serve more patients and through capacity building, empowering our clinical officers and nurses with the know-how to deliver proper care to the most vulnerable.”
SHOFCO is anchored under four pillars: Education, Health, Community Empowerment and Water and Sanitation. Key under the health pillar is the Mother and Child Health incentives program, provided for free to mothers in Kibera. The program is designed to counteract the high child morbidity and mortality rates by encouraging mothers to seek regular antenatal, post-natal, and child welfare services to ensure positive health outcomes for themselves and their children.
According to WHO data for Kenya in 2015, maternal mortality rates accounted for 510 deaths per 100,000 live births and an infant mortality rate of 36 per 1,000 live births.
Led by a commitment to improving access and quality of maternal, newborn, and child health care services towards the attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goal 3 agenda, the Kenyan government has made significant progress towards reducing the burden of maternal and infant mortality rates.
A 2013 program providing free maternity services in the public sector has shown a doubling of the number of women accessing skilled birth attendance to over one million deliveries in 2016, with 2,000 maternal deaths and 30,000 child deaths avoided annually since 2013.
In 2016, the government announced a new program seeking to reach 400,000 underserved expectant mothers by expanding the network of institutions including faith organizations that offer free maternity services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Dr Obi Adigwe has been appointed as the pioneer National Coordinator of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO).
The body was created by the Ministry of Health under the approval of President Bola Tinubu.
NHTDAO will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, stated.
The agency will serve as a meta-level national platform for coordinating the country’s digital-health agenda. It will reinforce, not replace, the existing statutory functions of relevant departments and agencies, it was emphasised.
The organisation will also harmonise and empower the public and private institutions across the health system, set the standards that connect them, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture, approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
It was stated that President Tinubu expects NHTDAO to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves outcomes for all citizens.
Mr Adigwe, as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, has leveraged science to catalyse interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research, and technology transfer.
He coordinated major projects, including the ¥300m Nanotechnology grant and the AFREXIMBank grant for Africa’s first API Training Facility. He led the roadmap development that underpinned an €18 million EU grant, the largest in Africa for the thematic area. During the last pandemic, Adigwe globally showcased African science by undertaking the world’s first analysis to debunk claims about the Covid Organics preparation.
The Office’s Steering Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight, comprises:
- Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare (Co-chair)
- Mr Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Co-chair)
- Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare (Alternate Co-chair)
- Ms Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
- Mr Idris Alubankudi Saliu, Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy
- Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Coordination Office
- Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chain
- Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency
- Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General, National Health Insurance Authority
- Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
- National Information Technology Development Agency Representative
- Six representatives of the State Commissioners of Health, one from each of the six geopolitical zones
- Pharm Hamza Buhari, Stakeholder representing Industry and Community.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State government has kicked off an initiative to ensure that every newborn is screened for Sickle Cell Disease within 48 to 72 hours after birth using a simple heel-prick test.
It was gathered that babies identified as being at risk will immediately be placed on preventive care while awaiting confirmatory testing.
The Head of the Haematology Department at the Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Olubukola Orolu, revealed that an estimated 150,000 babies are born annually with Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria, giving the country one of the highest SCD burdens globally.
She, however, applauded the Lagos State Government and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for introducing the state-wide newborn screening programme, describing it as a major step towards reducing childhood deaths associated with the disease.
The commencement of this scheme coincides with the 2026 World Sickle Cell Day, themed Young Voices Rising for Sickle Cell Disease – Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease.
It highlights the importance of listening to the experiences and aspirations of young people living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Mrs Orolu noted that SCD warriors are increasingly breaking barriers as advocates, leaders, students and change-makers, adding that their voices have continued to reshape the narrative through advocacy for equitable, patient-centred healthcare, self-care and experience sharing.
She, therefore, called for equal access to quality healthcare, survival opportunities and dignity for everyone living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Akinyele Akinlade, described Sickle Cell Disease as an inherited blood disorder that is not contagious, noting that individuals living with the condition are more susceptible to infections.
He advised SCD warriors to stay well hydrated, avoid stress, and protect themselves from extreme cold or heat, as these are common triggers of sickle cell crises, adding that these preventive measures can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of crises.
One of the participants, Ms Borokini Zainab, an SCD warrior and student nurse, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the enlightenment programme.
Sharing her personal journey, she spoke about the challenges of balancing recurrent pain crises with her academic pursuits and personal life. Despite moments of frustration, she encouraged fellow warriors not to lose hope.
“Don’t let sickle cell put you down. Be encouraged from within. Don’t let your dreams be shattered because of this,” she said, adding that her personal experience with Sickle Cell Disease inspired her to pursue a career in nursing so she could support others living with the condition.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A 12-week health-tech incubation programme tailored for early-stage founders in Nigeria has been introduced by an innovation and venture-building platform, Evon Labs.
This initiative, known as HealthX Catalyst, will help participants to create scalable, investable solutions for Africa’s urgent healthcare issues.
The programme is underway, with 12 selected founders nearing the final weeks of intensive incubation, ending with a Demo Day on June 24, 2026, at the UNDP innovation centre in Lagos, where the small business owners will present their solutions to an audience of investors, healthcare leaders, development organisations, and technology partners.
The initiative selects early-stage healthcare founders and immerses them in a structured 12-week development process. Throughout this period, participants receive personalised and group mentorship from seasoned professionals across the healthcare, technology, and business sectors.
They also receive structured support for startup development, including refining business models, developing value propositions, and validating markets.
Additionally, participants gain access to a network of healthcare practitioners, sector experts, and industry leaders, along with targeted investment-readiness assistance to prepare them to engage with investors and strategic partners after the programme.
The result is a cohort of founders who move through the programme not simply with a refined pitch, but with a validated business model, a stronger professional network, and a clear pathway to growth.
To accelerate the most promising solutions beyond the programme, monetary grants will be awarded to the top three founders to support product development, pilot implementation, market validation, and early-stage scaling.
It was learned that HealthX Catalyst was developed in response to a structural gap in the African health-tech ecosystem.
Across the continent, a growing number of entrepreneurs are building solutions to healthcare problems from access and diagnostics to service delivery and health data infrastructure. Yet many of these early-stage ideas fail to progress beyond concept, not for lack of vision, but for lack of structured support: mentorship, startup development frameworks, industry access, and early-stage funding pathways. HealthX Catalyst was built to provide exactly that.
“Africa does not have a shortage of healthcare innovators. What it has lacked is the infrastructure to turn its ideas into sustainable businesses. HealthX Catalyst is that infrastructure, a serious, structured programme designed to take founders from early-stage ideas to investable startups.
“What we are seeing from this first cohort is exactly what we set out to create: founders who are not just building products, but building businesses that can scale and create lasting impact,” the founder of Evon Labs, Ms Isioma Udeozo, said of the unveiling of HealthX Catalyst.
The partners of the programme are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Odua Investment Company Limited (OICL), Washington University of St Louis, Missouri, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and Brooks Insights.
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