Uju-Rochas Anwukah Calls for Health Research Prioritization

Uju-Rochas Anwukah, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Public Health, called on state governments to prioritize health research during the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Grand Challenges Nigeria Annual Meeting. She emphasized the importance of adopting and funding locally developed innovations to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.

Anwukah warned that research findings must translate into practical healthcare interventions to save lives. She highlighted that since its inception, Grand Challenges Nigeria has provided seed funding of up to N60 million each to 10 Nigerian-led projects.

Anwukah, who is also the Board Chair of Grand Challenges Nigeria, recalled the initiative's launch by Vice-President Kashim Shettima two years ago. She stressed that investment in healthcare should focus on mothers and newborns, as a healthy start is crucial for human capital development.

Anwukah identified the need for credible evidence, institutional ownership, and sustainable financing to scale up healthcare innovations effectively.