Nigeria Health Watch Hosts Abuja Conference on Scaling Health Innovations

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria Health Watch is hosting its 2026 Future of Health Conference in Abuja on Thursday, bringing together health leaders, policymakers, researchers and investors to discuss how to scale proven health innovations, Premium Times reported on 28 October.

The theme of this year’s Future of Health Conference is “From Innovation to Impact: The Future of Health is Now.” Organisers announced a programme of 10 speakers, four innovation showcases and three side events at a media briefing on Wednesday.

Topics include access to health care, domestic pharmaceutical production, vaccine research, family planning and maternal health. Two panels are scheduled: “Innovations That Save Lives Now” and “Scaling Health Where New Solutions Take Shape.”

Innovations on show at the Future of Health Conference

Partner showcases will be led by Project HOPE, on point-of-care ultrasound in primary healthcare centres; EngenderHealth, on digital accountability in primary health care; the Solina Centre for International Development and Research, on universal health coverage; and eHealth Africa, on climate-resilient health facilities.

The showcases reflect a shift among development partners towards solutions that can be absorbed into government primary health care systems, rather than run as separate projects that end when funding stops.

A signature session with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will cover vaccine trials in Nigeria and West Africa, including CEPI’s 100 Days Mission and the ENABLE study on Lassa fever. A World Bank Group side event will focus on domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, the raw materials for medicines.

Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, a not-for-profit health communications and advocacy organisation, said the goal was to move good ideas into wider use. “We need to provide innovations that work and the support to reach more people and improve health outcomes,” she said. “Building that future is a shared responsibility, and the work continues now.” The organisation uses the Future of Health Conference as a platform for health leaders, researchers and innovators to share evidence and form partnerships.

Why scaling matters

Many health innovations in Nigeria succeed as pilots but stall before reaching national scale, often because funding ends, government systems are not ready to absorb them, or evidence of impact is not gathered in a form policymakers can use. Point-of-care ultrasound, for example, can help detect high-risk pregnancies in rural clinics, but needs trained staff, maintenance and referral links to work.

Climate-resilient health facilities, the focus of eHealth Africa’s showcase, are designed to keep working during floods, heatwaves and power cuts, through measures such as solar power, water storage and cooling for medicines and vaccines. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency warned last week of hotter days as the dry season begins.

Digital accountability tools, the subject of EngenderHealth’s session, typically allow health workers and communities to report on stock levels, staff attendance and service quality, so managers can spot problems quickly. Such systems can complement funding reforms such as the direct facility financing that the federal government says now reaches 8,309 primary healthcare centres.

Local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients is a long-standing goal for Nigeria, which imports most of the inputs used by its drug manufacturers. Producing them domestically could reduce exposure to currency swings and supply disruptions, but requires large investment, reliable power and regulatory approval to international standards.

The ENABLE study supported by CEPI is a large multi-country study of Lassa fever in West Africa designed to measure how often the disease occurs in different communities. Such data are needed to plan trials of future Lassa vaccines, because a vaccine can only be tested properly where infection rates are known. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria, causes outbreaks every year with cases usually rising in the dry season, and has no licensed vaccine.

The Future of Health Conference also comes as Nigeria’s Ebola response has highlighted the value of local research and laboratory capacity. Nigerian scientists sequenced the virus from the country’s first case within days, and CEPI has just committed new funding to strengthen clinical trial readiness in West Africa.

Premium Times did not report the expected number of participants or whether sessions will be streamed publicly. Findings from the conference could inform government plans to scale primary care innovations funded through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

The Future of Health Conference also takes place as international health aid declines and leaders are pressing for more domestic financing. At the Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja last week, Sen. Ireti Kingibe urged stakeholders to mobilise domestic capital and legislative support to reduce dependence on donor funding.

Why it matters: Nigeria needs pathways that turn successful pilots into national programmes, especially in local drug production and primary care technology.

Source: Premium Times, October 2026.