Strengthening maternal health requires solutions that are not only innovative but also practical, scalable, and responsive to the realities of Nigeria’s health system. This was the focus of TAConnect’s contribution to a high-level policy dialogue hosted by Nigeria Health Watch during the World Health Expo (WHX) Lagos 2026.
Representing TAConnect, Technical Director Dr. Olayiwola Jaiyeola joined health leaders, policymakers, development partners, and sector experts to discuss “For Every Mother: Designing Solutions That Work Across the Pregnancy Journey,” a session that explored how health systems can better support women from pregnancy through childbirth and the postnatal period.
As the Gates Foundation’s lead Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) technical partner in Lagos State, TAConnect shared practical insights from its work supporting government-led efforts to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare. Drawing on implementation experience, Dr. Jaiyeola highlighted the importance of embedding evidence-based interventions within existing health systems to ensure they are sustainable, locally owned, and capable of delivering measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes.
The discussion emphasized that reducing maternal mortality requires more than introducing new interventions. Success depends on strengthening Primary Healthcare systems, building the capacity of frontline health workers, improving the use of data for decision-making, ensuring the availability of essential commodities, and fostering effective collaboration between governments, development partners, and communities.
TAConnect also highlighted the importance of designing solutions that respond to the realities faced by women throughout the pregnancy journey. This includes strengthening referral systems, improving continuity of care from antenatal to postnatal services, and ensuring that quality maternal healthcare is accessible to every woman, particularly those in underserved communities.
The dialogue provided an important platform for sharing lessons from implementation, exchanging ideas with sector leaders, and identifying opportunities to scale interventions that improve maternal and newborn health across Nigeria.
TAConnect’s participation at WHX Lagos 2026 reflects its continued commitment to advancing evidence-informed, context-specific solutions that strengthen Primary Healthcare systems and improve health outcomes. By contributing technical expertise to national conversations on maternal health, the TAC continues to support governments and partners in designing sustainable interventions that ensure every mother receives the quality care she needs throughout her pregnancy journey and beyond.
