By Lucy Ladidi Elukpo-Ateko

The Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP) has launched the Essential Newborn Care Package aimed at reducing preventable infant deaths and improving newborn survival across Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch, CIHP Chief Executive Officer, Bolanle Oyeledun, said the initiative provides critical guidelines, tools, and educational materials to equip healthcare providers, families, and communities with the knowledge needed to improve newborn care.

She noted that many newborn deaths in Nigeria result from preventable conditions such as suffocation, infections, bleeding, and jaundice, stressing the need for urgent intervention.

“We want to ensure these guidelines are not just launched and kept on shelves, but taken to the most remote communities so that every caregiver has the knowledge to help newborns survive and thrive,” she said.

Oyeledun added that the package promotes interventions such as Kangaroo Mother Care, which supports preterm babies through skin-to-skin contact, particularly in low-resource settings.

In his remarks, Director of Family Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, John Ovouraye, described the initiative as a key step toward strengthening newborn healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

He said the programme focuses not only on policy formulation but also on implementation at state level, where real impact is achieved.

“This engagement is not just another meeting, but a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s journey to improve newborn survival and strengthen the health system,” he said.

Ovouraye disclosed that five major national documents were being disseminated, including the Nigeria Every Newborn Action Plan, Kangaroo Mother Care guidelines, Essential Newborn Care guidelines, and a roadmap for scaling up newborn care commodities.

He stressed that the documents are interconnected tools designed to address gaps in newborn care and align with national priorities on universal health coverage and primary healthcare strengthening.

He urged state governments and health stakeholders to domesticate the guidelines, integrate them into health plans, and ensure effective implementation.

According to CIHP, the initiative will be rolled out over the next 12 months through training programmes at state, local government, and community levels to ensure widespread adoption.