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Tag: Vivianne Ihekweazu

  • Nigeria’s micronutrient deficiency crisis spurs calls for stronger nutrition strategy

    Nigeria’s micronutrient deficiency crisis spurs calls for stronger nutrition strategy

    Public health experts are sounding the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening malnutrition crisis, warning that urgent and coordinated action is needed to reverse alarming trends that threaten millions of children and women.

    According to the latest data, 32 percent of Nigerian children under the age of five are stunted, while millions of women and adolescent girls are grappling with severe micronutrient deficiencies.

    Nigeria Health Watch, citing figures from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), noted that more than 31 percent of children between six and 59 months are deficient in vitamin A, while 35 percent suffer from zinc deficiency.

    Among women of reproductive age, according to the data, iron deficiency affects about 10 percent, surging to 26 percent during pregnancy.

    The experts say these deficiencies not only compromise child growth and cognitive development but also fuel high rates of maternal and child mortality, posing a significant threat to the nation’s productivity and development.

    The Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said it is in a bid to address the persistent public health challenge that the organisation is convening a high-level Nutrition Roundtable, under the theme Strengthening Local Food Fortification to Combat Malnutrition in Nigeria.

    The roundtable, according to her, will gather influential stakeholders from across government, the private sector, civil society, and development organisations to explore concrete strategies for revitalising Nigeria’s food fortification ecosystem.

    She said the discussions will focus on strengthening local production capacity, empowering small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), and improving regulatory oversight to ensure strict adherence to national fortification standards.

    Furthermore, according to her, the roundtable becomes more imperative considering that despite years of nutrition-focused interventions, persistent funding gaps, weak coordination, and fragmented programming continue to undermine Nigeria’s response to malnutrition.

    Read Also: UNICEF prioritises collective battle against malnutrition in Plateau

    “Many communities remain vulnerable, with millions of children and families still unable to access affordable, nutritious foods, Ihekweazu said.

    Stressing that strengthening food fortification offers a sustainable pathway to close these gaps, she noted, “By investing in SMEs, ensuring compliance with national standards, and securing sustainable funding, we can protect future generations from preventable malnutrition”.

    She said the roundtable will address major policy bottlenecks that have hindered the scale-up of food fortification nationwide.

    In addition, she noted that the participants will engage in robust discussions on regulatory challenges, the need for stronger enforcement of fortification standards, and strategies to boost technical and financial support for SMEs to expand fortified food production.

    “There will also be a focus on reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported premixes by expanding domestic production, thereby strengthening the resilience of the country’s nutrition supply chain.

    “Another key priority is to raise consumer awareness, ensuring that fortified foods become both accessible and desirable for households across urban and rural communities.

    “The meeting is expected to generate actionable policy recommendations that will serve as a blueprint for a stronger food fortification system.

    “The goal is to create a sustainable model that can scale across the country, enabling vulnerable groups, particularly children and women, to benefit from lifesaving nutrition interventions.

    “By prioritising investment in local production capacity and empowering SMEs, Nigeria has the potential not only to reduce its dependence on foreign inputs but also to create a more self-reliant and health-conscious food system that safeguards public health,” Ihekweazu added.

  • Five experts bridging healthcare, media and social impact

    Five experts bridging healthcare, media and social impact

    In a world increasingly shaped by both science and storytelling, a new generation of professionals is bridging the gap between healthcare and communication. They are leveraging their medical knowledge and media skills to advance social impact, challenge inequities, and bring health information closer to the people who need it most.

    From Nigeria to the United States, these experts embody a movement that sees healthcare not only as treatment but also as education, empowerment, and advocacy. These five professionals represent a broader shift in how healthcare is practiced and communicated. They see medicine not just as a technical field but as a human one that requires clarity, trust, and engagement. By drawing from media, policy, advocacy, and clinical practice, they have expanded the boundaries of what it means to work in health.

    Voices like those of Funmi Ezeh, Vivianne Ihekweazu, LaShyra Nolen, Uché Blackstock, and Joel Bervell remind us that progress happens when knowledge is shared, barriers are broken, and communities are empowered. They are bridge builders, proving that the future of healthcare lies in the power of connection.

    Funmi Eko Ezeh: The connector of communities

    Funmi Eko Ezeh stands at the intersection of healthcare and communication. With over a decade of experience in public health, nursing, and broadcast media, she has used her diverse background to create meaningful impact. Her career began in media, where she trained at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and went on to host and produce programs at Raypower/AIT and Rainbow FM. She collaborated with major brands and institutions, learning how communication can influence society.

    Her curiosity about deeper social change led her into public health. After completing a Master’s degree at Imo State University, she pursued nursing when she relocated to the United States. That choice allowed her to combine clinical expertise with her natural ability to connect with people.

    In 2014, she founded RedConnectNG, a social impact initiative that organizes free health outreaches, promotes preventive health practices, and empowers healthcare workers. The group has campaigned for simple but life-saving habits such as handwashing while offering medical checks for chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes in underserved communities. Through partnerships with hospitals and advocacy groups, RedConnectNG has amplified health awareness and reduced barriers to care.

    Ezehi’s work reflects her belief that knowledge is a transformative force. Whether through her book Everyday with Sickle Cell or her grassroots campaigns, she demonstrates how communication and healthcare can come together to build healthier communities.

    Vivianne Ihekweazu: Health communication strategist

    As Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu has made health communication her calling. With a background in communications and research, she has spent years shaping how health stories are told and understood in Nigeria. Her focus is on using journalism, advocacy, and campaigns to hold health systems accountable and to empower citizens with the information they need to make decisions.

    Vivianne’s work has cut across issues ranging from maternal and child health to epidemic preparedness. She believes that health communication is not simply about relaying facts but about creating trust and engagement. By curating narratives that speak to communities, she has amplified the importance of prevention, access, and resilience. In an age when information moves faster than ever, she has become a steady voice advocating for accuracy and relevance in health reporting.

    LaShyra “Lash” Nolen: The student advocate

    In the United States, LaShyra Nolen has emerged as a powerful young voice for equity in medicine. As the first Black woman elected class president at Harvard Medical School, she combined leadership with activism. At the same time, she pursued a Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, deepening her understanding of how health intersects with governance and society.

    Nolen founded the We Got Us Empowerment Project, a community health effort designed to increase trust and awareness among marginalized communities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative mobilized students and young professionals to share accurate information, provide resources, and foster dialogue. For her, healthcare is not confined to clinics but extends into neighborhoods where people live and struggle.

    Her story shows how the next generation of physicians is redefining medicine as both a science and a service. By combining policy, clinical training, and grassroots communication, Nolen has become a model of how young leaders can use their platforms for social impact.

    Uché Blackstock: The physician advocate

    Dr. Uché Blackstock is an emergency physician and founder of Advancing Health Equity, an organization committed to fighting racial inequities in healthcare. She has already established herself as one of the leading voices drawing attention to the ways systemic racism affects patient outcomes in the United States.

    Beyond clinical practice, she has been active in media and public discourse, offering commentary, writing essays, and speaking at conferences about the intersection of race and health. Her approach is rooted in both evidence and empathy. She stresses that health disparities are not accidents but the results of long-standing social and structural inequalities.

    By challenging healthcare systems to confront bias and by using media platforms to amplify the issue, Blackstock has made health equity part of the national conversation. Her work underscores the role of physicians not only as healers but also as advocates for justice.

    Joel Bervell: The social media Eeducator

    A Ghanaian-American medical student, Joel Bervell found his calling in digital storytelling. Known as the “Medical Mythbuster,” he built a large following on social media by breaking down complex health topics and correcting misinformation. His content highlighted issues of racial bias in medicine, explained scientific developments, and tackled questions that often went unanswered in mainstream health communication.

    Bervell’s approach blends credibility with accessibility. As a future physician, he brings the authority of medical training. As a content creator, he understands how to engage audiences across age groups and cultures. His videos, widely shared during the pandemic, helped demystify health practices and built trust at a time when misinformation was spreading rapidly.

    His work has demonstrated how digital media could be a powerful tool for social impact. He showed that health education does not have to stay within classrooms or hospitals but can meet people directly on their phones and timelines.