• Hausa Edition
  • Podcast
  • Conferences
  • LeVogue Magazine
  • Business News
  • Print Advert Rates
  • Online Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Leadership Newspapers
Read in Hausa
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Leadership Newspapers
No Result
View All Result

Reckitt Nigeria, WBFA Partner To Screen 9,000 Newborns For Neonatal Jaundice

by Biodun Sivowaku
6 months ago
in Health
Reckitt Nigeria
Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on XTelegram

Reckitt Nigeria and The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), in a collaborative initiative, will screen over 9,000 infants for Neonatal Jaundice (NNJ) over the next 18 months.

Advertisement

 

The initiative aims to ensure timely detection and intervention by preventing disabilities and saving lives of infants from jaundice.

 

Neonatal jaundice, characterised by yellowing of the skin and eyes in newborns, can lead to severe complications, including brain damage, if not treated promptly. Launched on 3rd December 2024, Project Oscar will strengthen early identification, timely referral, and effective management of NNJ across healthcare facilities in Lagos State.

RELATED

UNICEF Deploys Team to Ascertain Out-of-School Children In Bauchi

Exclusive Breastfeeding Stalls At 29% Despite Benefits – UNICEF

1 hour ago
Bauchi CMD Attacked With Axe Over Defective Caesarean Operation

Nutrition Council, Others Rally Against Infant, Maternal Mortality

20 hours ago

 

Supporting this initiative are the Lagos State Ministry of Health, NEST360, SCIDaR, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

 

The 18-month project will educate over 10,000 mothers on the early signs and treatment of NNJ, empowering communities with essential knowledge. Additionally, 300 healthcare workers will receive specialised training in NNJ management. One tertiary and 5 secondary healthcare facilities will be equipped with 6 phototherapy units and 6 BiliDx bilirubinometers. For post-discharge care, mothers will receive Bilistrips for continued monitoring.

 

At the primary healthcare level, 12 facilities will be equipped with 12 transcutaneous bilirubinometers, 12 BiliDx bilirubinometers, and Bilistrips for home use.

 

In her opening remarks at the stakeholder meeting titled “Strengthening Neonatal Jaundice Management: Multi-stakeholder Engagement for Effective Referral and Care Coordination,” Founder and President of WBFA, Toyin Saraki, highlighted the pressing issue of neonatal jaundice in Nigeria. “Neonatal jaundice remains a major but preventable contributor to neonatal mortality and lifelong disabilities in Nigeria, affecting 60 per cent of term newborns and nearly 100 per cent of preterm infants.”

 

Saraki’s remarks, delivered by the Director of Programmes at WBFA, Williams Awotunde, emphasised the gaps in early detection, limited access to effective phototherapy treatment, and delayed referrals, which continue to put thousands of newborns at risk of severe complications such as kernicterus, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss.

 

“Addressing this challenge requires a coordinated, evidence-based, and systemic response, which is why this gathering is critical to discussing improvements to the referral system to ensure no newborn is left behind due to delays or systemic inefficiencies.

 

Saraki, however, pointed out that technology and training alone will not suffice. “Community engagement remains a pillar of success, as cultural beliefs and misconceptions often delay treatment-seeking behaviour,” she explained.

Project Oscar leverages existing cultural touchpoints, such as traditional eighth-day naming ceremonies, to promote a crucial seventh-day neonatal health check, ensuring timely detection of jaundice symptoms before they become life-threatening.

 

Saraki called on all stakeholders, health policymakers, frontline healthcare providers, development partners, and community leaders to commit to integrating neonatal jaundice screening and treatment into routine neonatal care protocols. “Sustainable progress requires not only investment in infrastructure and training but also policy integration and advocacy to ensure that every newborn, regardless of location, has access to timely and effective care,” she concluded.

 

On her part, the Medical Director and CEO of Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Dr. Olutekunbi Olanike, expressed her delight at the introduction of Project Oscar, “Light for Life,” in Lagos State.

 

She highlighted the significant impact this initiative will have, particularly in managing neonatal jaundice in babies. “Identifying babies with neonatal jaundice early and promptly intervening is crucial. Statistics show that about 60 per cent of term newborns and nearly 100 per cent of preterm babies will develop jaundice. This underscores the heavy burden in terms of numbers,” Dr. Olanike stated.

 

Emphasising the importance of collective effort, she remarked, “We keep saying the government cannot do it alone. This project will augment what the government is already doing, and more babies will benefit from it. Project Oscar is not just about secondary and tertiary care. I am excited that they have incorporated primary healthcare centres right in the communities so that these babies can be identified early. It’s a laudable project, and I’m excited that it has come to Lagos State.”


We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →

Join Our WhatsApp Channel




Tags: Reckitt
SendShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Student Loan Repayment Begins 2 Years After NYSC Completion – NELFUND

Next Post

US Dropbox Visa Renewals No Longer Available For Nigerian Applicants  

Biodun Sivowaku

Biodun Sivowaku

You May Like

UNICEF Deploys Team to Ascertain Out-of-School Children In Bauchi
Health

Exclusive Breastfeeding Stalls At 29% Despite Benefits – UNICEF

2025/08/02
Bauchi CMD Attacked With Axe Over Defective Caesarean Operation
Health

Nutrition Council, Others Rally Against Infant, Maternal Mortality

2025/08/01
How Consultants Create Hostile Learning Environment For Resident Doctors
Health

217 Abuja Residents Get Special Healthcare Services

2025/08/01
FG Working Towards Zero-malaria Target – Minister
Health

We’re Negotiating To Keep Hospitals Open, Nurses On Duty, Says Federal Gov’t

2025/07/31
Over 20m Nigerians Living With Hepatitis, Says UCH CMD
Health

Nurses’ Strike: Families Evacuate Patients From Hospitals In Plateau

2025/07/31
160 Pregnant Women Benefit From Rotary’s Maternal, Child Health Outreach In FCT
Health

160 Pregnant Women Benefit From Rotary’s Maternal, Child Health Outreach In FCT

2025/07/31
Leadership Conference advertisement

LATEST

Aiyedatiwa’s Court Victory For Advancement Of Democracy – Oyebanji

UNILAG SSANU Elects New Officers After 9-year Litigation

Court Orders Forfeiture Of Property Over Alleged N986m Fraud

UNICEF, YABATECH Empower 200 Girls With Skills, Startup Toolkits

2,351 Rangers Died Globally In 15 Years – NGO

Adeleke Not In Alliance With ADC, Says Spokesman

Integrate Sharia Courts Into Nigeria’s Judicial System, MURIC Tells FG

Bamboo Boom: Unlocking Profits In Nigeria’s Green Gold

Olasehan: Driving Africa’s Digital Future With 5G Innovation

How Stablecoins Are Reshaping Business Operations In Nigeria

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.