FG, Partners Finalise Evidence–based Child Health Project

Federal government, in collaboration with global partners and local research institutions has concluded the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project.

It is a three-year initiative aimed at improving healthcare outcomes for newborns and children in Nigeria through the localisation of evidence-based clinical guidelines.

The project aims to bridge global evidence with local realities for sustainable, high-impact healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2), the GELA project was implemented in Nigeria, Malawi, and South Africa, with Nigeria serving as a critical site under the leadership of Cochrane Nigeria based in Cross River State.

At the event, the director, Health Planning Research Statistics Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Kamil Shoretire, represented by the deputy director, Research and Knowledge Management, Dr. Gbenga Ijaodole, said the project aligned with Nigeria’s health vision of saving lives, reducing pain, and enhancing healthcare delivery, especially at the primary level.

The GELA project, which officially launched in April 2022 and concluded in August 2025 after a brief extension, was implemented in three sub-Saharan African countries, Nigeria, Malawi, and South Africa, with Nigeria serving as a critical implementation site led by Cochrane Nigeria, headquartered in Cross River State.

The director of Cochrane Nigeria, Prof. Martin Meremikwu, said GELA moved away from a one-size-fits-all model of adopting foreign guidelines.

Instead, it adopted a structured six-stage process, engage, synthesize, decide, share, learn, and evaluate to generate localised and high-quality clinical guidelines tailored to Nigeria’s unique healthcare context.

“The GELA project shows that while global science exists, it must be critically evaluated and adapted to local contexts,” Prof. Meremikwu said. “Today marks the end of a project, but it is the beginning of a new chapter in Nigeria’s evidence-based healthcare journey.”

Senior scientists on the project, Dr. Moriam Chibuzor and Dr. Dachi Arikpo, showcased the project’s innovative approach to stakeholder engagement, interactive evidence mapping, and policy-research collaboration. These methods, they said, not only produced clinical guidelines but also established a sustainable model for future national health strategies.

The project initially prioritised over 27 health sub-topics, with draft guidelines developed for several areas, including hand hygiene, infection prevention and control (IPC), and care for low-birth-weight and preterm babies. Areas requiring further work, such as preeclampsia management, were noted due to the complexity of evidence synthesis.

President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Prof. Ekanem Ekure, praised the ministry and project partners for their collaborative spirit and achievements over the last three years, emphasising the clinical relevance of the project’s outputs, particularly in enhancing IPC and newborn care, both critical to reducing preventable deaths.

Final outputs from the GELA project, including draft guideline recommendations, infographics, and interactive formats available on the MAGIC App, are expected to influence Nigeria’s contribution to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline programme and promote better service delivery at all levels of care.