FG, global partners conclude the Gela project to improve the health of children in Nigeria

Medium: Dr. Amina, to her immediate right: Prof. Ekanem Ekure, Next, Prof. Martin Meremikwu, Next, Dr. Dachi Arikpo. Subsequently Dr. Moriam Chibuzor. Supported by other partners and interested parties.

FG, global partners conclude the Gela project to improve the health of children in Nigeria

Abuja (basic reporter) The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with international collaborators and research institutes, has officially concluded the Global Evidence project, Local Local Adaptment (Gela), a ambitious three -year initiative designed to improve the health of infants and children adapting and adapting the informed clinical guidelines that reflect both local health reality.

The project aims to fill global tests with local realities for sustainable health delivery and high impact in Nigeria

The ceremony (labeled “Program of the project spread of the project”) held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Social Wellness Federal, brought together the main interested parties of the Ministry, Cochrane Nigeria, international experts, academy and professional bodies such as the Pediatric Association of Nigeria.

Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Amina Director of the Health Child Health division, which represented the Department of Health of the Director family, underlined the full support of the Ministry for the Gela initiative and reaffirmed the commitment of the government in the use of science and collaboration to reduce mortality and improve health results for vulnerable populations.

It was achieved by Dr. Gbenga Ijouodole, deputy director of research and knowledge of knowledge, who observed that the project highly aligns with the health vision of Nigeria to save lives, reduce pain and improve health delivery, especially primaryly. Dr. Gbenga Ijouodole represented the Department of Statistics of Research on Health Planning Fmohsw, Dr. Kamil Shoreire.

The Gela project, officially launched in April 2022 and ended in August 2025 after a short extension, was implemented in three countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Malawi and South Africa, with Nigeria serves as a critical implementation site led by Cochrane Nigeria, at the head of Cross River. The project was financed by the partnership of Trials Clinical Trials (EDCTP2), although the lenders had no influence on the design or execution of the project.

According to Professor Martin Meremikwu, director of Cochrane Nigeria, the project was significant in its double emphasis: generating guidelines for the high quality context and building the local ability for the synthesis and adaptation of the tests.

“The Gela project shows that, although existing global science, it must be assessed critically and adapted to local contexts. We simply moved away from adopting international guidelines to a structured process created by the evidence of adaptation or development of new suitable for Nigeria,” he said.

With strong institutional support by the Federal Ministry of Health of Health and Health Planning, Research and Health Health Statistics; The interested parties have expressed optimism that the Gela initiative will not end with the formal closure of the project. “Today is the end of a project, but it is the beginning of a new chapter in the healthcare journey based on Nigerian evidence,” added Prof. Meremikwu.

Through a six -stage process, involve, synthesize, decide, share, learn and evaluate, the project has convened the national parties to identify priority health problems, conduct systematic revisions and guide the development of clinical guidelines. Over 27 sub-tops were initially identified, with areas such as the preeclampsia management marked with future works due to the complexity in the synthesis of the tests.

Dr. Moriam Chibuzor, a senior scientist of the Gela project, and dr. Dachi Arikpo, an economist of the team of the team, presented insights on how the commitment of the stakeholders, the mapping of the tests and the interactive revisions constituted the backbone of the initiative. They underlined that beyond the guidelines, the project created a model for collaboration for the search for policies, which could inform future national health strategies.

According to Dr. Chibuzor, the final outputs are expected to influence Nigeria’s contributions to the WHO guidelines program, while allowing an improvement in the supply of services at all levels of assistance.

A key culminating point was the active role of the Pediatric Association of Nigeria, whose president participated in the session, underlining the clinical relevance of the project.

Speaking at the event, Professor Ekanem Ekure, president of the Pediatric Association of Nigeria (Pan), praised the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Wellness, in particular the division for the health of minors and the Department for the Health of the Family, for their collaborative inhaverbody for the entire life of the project.

“We worked closely for a long time, and I really praise the health division of children and the family health department for the profound collaboration we have had,” he said. “In the last three years they have been marked with significant progress and significant cooperation”.

Prof. Ekure, which also represents the Atlantic Astronomy Bureau, expressed pride for the two main results of the project guidelines: improve hands hygiene and the prevention and control of infections (IPC) between health workers, young people and the public. And, advanced by low birth and preterm, aimed to save the life of newborns and improve health results.

The completion with success of the Gela strengthens the determination of Nigeria to invest in economic and high quality health interventions and simultaneously appropriate, in particular for children and infants, towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and the reduction of preventable deaths.

The meeting objectives include:

-for formally updating the departments relevant to the Fmohsw on the development processes of the guidelines and on the results of the Gela project

-for presenting the guidelines (draft copies), infographic and interactive electronic formats on the magic app to the parties concerned during the meeting

-to discuss the diffusion approaches to promote the absorption of the recommendations of the guidelines with the interested parties