Author: Moshood Isah

By Atef Fawaz 

The year 2025 has been a watershed year for global development. Aid is shrinking. United States assistance has all but disappeared. Public debt is choking governments’ ability to fund health, education, and basic services. The old model that was aid dependent, externally dictated, and reactive was never truly sustainable.

The truth is, Africa has been carrying itself for decades. Governments, innovators, and communities have turned scarcity into ingenuity and built solutions that work. Mobile banking transformed financial inclusion. Women led enterprises are reshaping access to clean energy and education. And in health, data driven systems have strengthened outbreak response and saved lives.

At eHealth Africa, we see this up close. Solarized primary health centers keep vaccines cold in places far beyond the grid. We are designing and scaling Digital solutions, Emergency Operation Centers and Laboratory Systems   hand in hand with African governments to catch outbreaks before they spread. And when Ebola and COVID-19 hit, it was African expertise, not external rescue, that made the difference. These are not stories of charity. They are stories of resilience and ownership.

This moment is not a crisis of aid. It is an inflection point for sovereignty. Africa’s future cannot be defined in Washington or Brussels. It is already being written in Lagos, Kigali, Dakar, Johannesburg, and Abuja.

That conviction drove us to convene the Insights Learning Forum 2025 in Abuja under the theme “Local Investments for Connected Communities: The Power of Digital Health Networks in Public Health Transformation.” Leaders across government, business, and civil society sent a clear message: transformation will only last if local investment fuels innovation and if communities shape the tools built for them.

At ILF 2025, we called for governments to budget for digital health, for innovators to design with their own communities, and for the private sector and donors to commit for the long haul. As my colleague Ota Akhigbe put it: “Transformation does not begin with flashy tools or external funding. Transformation begins with local commitment.”

Now, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), we are carrying this message forward. Alongside Population Service International (PSI), Population Council, and Reach Digital Health, we are convening a dialogue on African-led Innovation: Shaping Sustainable Futures With or Without Aid. This is because the question is not whether Africa can innovate. It is whether global partners are ready to recognize, invest in, and scale what is already working.

That means:

• Private sector: build technologies with African businesses and governments that solve real problems in health, education, and agriculture.
• Philanthropy: move from fragmented short term grants to long term, flexible investments that back African leadership.
• Governments: explore new financing models from dedicated health levies to social impact bonds that secure sovereignty and sustainability.
• Civil society and NGOs: pool resources and adopt adaptive models to keep impact alive even as budgets shrink.

ILF 2025 showed us the urgency. UNGA is our chance to make sure the world not only listens, but acts,because the future will not be given to us. It will be built by us.

About Atef Fawaz:

Atef Fawaz is the Executive Director of eHealth Africa. He is a complex operations management and ICT expert with experience in humanitarian response and digital health.

By Moshood Isah

When there is a public health emergency, like a disease outbreak or a pandemic, the speed at which public health stakeholders respond can make a big difference. It can either stop things from escalating or help bring the situation under control quickly. One of the biggest challenges in such scenarios is timely coordination among key stakeholders capable of responding to the emergency.

Without a central place for everyone to meet, share information, and make quick decisions, efforts can easily become scattered. This leads to duplication, wasted resources, and missed opportunities. In a crisis, that can cost lives. What’s needed is a strong system that helps governments and partners work hand in hand, swiftly and strategically.

Since the establishment of Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in 11 states across Nigeria, led by eHealth Africa with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the story is beginning to change. States are now better equipped to respond swiftly, coordinate effectively, and save more lives during public health emergencies.

The commissioner of primary healthcare in Niger state, Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, confirmed this when he described the EOC as a critical pillar in the state’s public health emergency preparedness and response. Since its establishment, the EOC has successfully connected all 25 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in real time, enabling virtual meetings, streamlined data reporting, and rapid response to health emergencies, including childhood killer diseases like cholera and meningitis outbreaks.

“Before this center, transporting health workers for meetings was costly and inefficient. Now, we can convene hybrid sessions, access real-time data, and make quick, informed decisions,” he explained.

Echoing this sentiment, Fatima Ibrahim, the incident manager of the Niger State EOC, emphasised that public health is not a one-person job. She noted that the EOC’s coordinating power has made it possible to identify and leverage the unique strengths of each stakeholder, leading to more effective and unified emergency responses.

Citing a key example, Fatima shared, “During campaigns, with support from our data team at the EOC, we receive real-time analysis showing areas with high and low vaccination coverage.” According to her, this timely data enables swift action by mobilizing teams to reach underserved areas. “For instance, we identified Mashegu as a zero-dose LGA. With data from the EOC, we were able to track ongoing efforts, spot critical gaps, and bring all partners together to plan and respond collectively,” she explained.

Key public health partners have also hailed the immense impact of the EOC and the value it adds to their interventions. According to Samuel Okolo, the Niger state lead for Sydani Group, partners are now able to coordinate and collaborate with traditional leaders for effective community mobilization, monitoring, and response.

Highlighting the power of collaboration, he shared a memorable example: “Following a partners’ meeting at the EOC, we received word that the Emir of Kagara (an LGA in Niger State) wanted to meet with the team. Fortunately, everyone was still at the center. The Incident Manager quickly mobilized the group, and we met with the Emir.” Meeting stakeholders in full capacity, the Emir not only expressed his commitment to addressing vaccine non-compliance but also pledged to visit the EOC in person—a powerful gesture of support for strengthening immunization coverage in the state.

It is especially encouraging to hear the Commissioner of Primary Healthcare in Niger State reaffirm the state’s commitment to EOC sustainability. “This initiative may have started with donor support, but sustainability is already built in. The state has fully embraced it, with budgetary provisions and strong political will to maintain and expand the facility,” he said.

The impact of Emergency Operations Centers speaks volumes about what’s possible when strategic investment meets local leadership and innovation. These centers are lifelines in moments of crisis, enhancing coordination and rapid response. As we look toward a future filled with increasingly complex public health challenges, continued support from partners and donors will be vital to scale this impact and protect more lives.

Moshood Isah is a communications coordinator at eHealth Africa

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Niger State has become a critical pillar in the state’s public health emergency preparedness and response, according to the commissioner for primary health care, Dr Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana.

Describing it as a “game-changer” in health coordination, Dr Dangana emphasised its central role in managing surveillance, disease outbreaks, and emergency response across the state.

Established and managed by eHealth Africa with support from the Gates Foundation, the state-of-the-art facility serves as a central hub for stakeholder coordination, driving the realisation of a responsive, data-driven public health system in Niger State.

According to Dr Dangana, since its inception about a year ago, the EOC has truly transformed how we coordinate public health in the state. He said the EOC has successfully connected all 25 local government areas (LGAs) in real time, enabling virtual meetings, data reporting, and rapid response to health emergencies, including childhood killer diseases, cholera, and meningitis outbreaks.

Dr Dangana noted that before the EOC, coordination relied heavily on physical meetings and delayed data, making emergency response sluggish and resource-intensive. “Before this centre, transporting health workers for meetings was costly and inefficient.

Now, we can convene hybrid sessions, access real-time data, and make quick, informed decisions,” he explained.

He said, beyond emergency response, the EOC serves as a platform for collaboration with technical working groups, development partners, and health managers across the state. According to him, it also provides a conducive environment that boosts staff morale and productivity with dedicated meeting rooms, offices, teleconferencing equipment, and staff welfare facilities.

Dr Dangana commended the Niger State government’s commitment to sustaining the EOC, saying Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago has approved expansion plans to add a second floor and directed the creation of a dedicated budget line to support the EOC’s operations.

“This initiative may have started with donor support, but sustainability is already built. The state has fully embraced it, with budgetary provisions and strong political will to maintain and expand the facility,” he stated.

He noted that the significant investment in primary healthcare in the state has led to increased uptake of services such as antenatal care and skilled delivery, reflecting growing public confidence in PHC facilities.

“Our vision is clear—we want Niger State to be among the top three states in Nigeria in terms of equitable, accessible, and affordable healthcare. The EOC is central to this goal,” Dr Dangana affirmed. “It is more than a building—it is a critical tool for centralising data, coordinating plans, and ensuring fast, informed responses.”

He urged residents to make full use of the health services now available to them, stressing that prevention and early intervention are essential for improving community health outcomes. “Let’s not wait for illness to strike. The facilities are here, the staff are being trained and deployed, and the system is improving daily. It’s time for the people of Niger State to embrace this transformation,” he concluded.

With the combined efforts of the Niger State government, eHealth Africa, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Emergency Operations Center stands as a beacon of innovation, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s health sector.

Moshood Isah

Public health campaigns in Nigeria, particularly immunization efforts, have long been hampered by manual, time-consuming planning processes. Existing traditional methods often yield inaccurate or incomplete data, delayed micro-plans, and inefficient resource allocation, which in turn compromise the reach and quality of vaccination campaigns. In an era where timely, data-driven action is critical, the lack of digital tools for micro-planning severely limits the effectiveness and scalability of public health responses.

In a significant step toward digitizing public health planning, key stakeholders across Nigeria’s immunization ecosystem have endorsed PlanFeld, a digital micro-planning tool developed by eHealth Africa. Stakeholders, including key members from the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), Emergency Operations Centers from Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Kebbi states, and key partners in public health spaces, converged in Abuja for a comprehensive User Acceptance Testing of the PlanFeld application. 

Through step-by-step hands-on demo sessions, stakeholders experienced firsthand how PlanFeld simplifies and accelerates the development of Daily Implementation Plans (DIPs). They commended the platform for improving data quality, reducing planning time, and enhancing decision-making during vaccination campaigns. Speaking at a recent User Acceptance Testing (UAT) session, some stakeholders from the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), State Primary Healthcare Agencies, and Immunization Officers highlighted how Planfeld is already reshaping field operations.

The deputy Incident Manager of the NEOC reiterated the fact that Microplan remains key to the success of any health campaigns, and it’s important to have a standard database for public health campaigns. He commended eHealth Africa for taking the lead to ensure we have a standard and realistic database and planning system.  “eHealth Africa has been the champion for using technology  for many years and you are also evolving in trying to see how to use new digital  technological innovations to upgrade our plans in the country”, he said

Dr. Abdullahi Musa Garba, Incident Manager at the Kaduna State Emergency Operations Center, emphasized the need to shift from outdated manual planning methods. He said,  “As a country, we can’t continue doing things the same way. With Planfeld, a Daily Implementation Plan (DIP) that used to take a week now takes just 30 minutes. It gives us real-time visibility into resources, team movements, and vaccine allocation. This is a significant strategic shift.”

Dr. Garba noted that digital tools like Planfeld will help reduce vaccine wastage and enable real-time supervision of vaccination teams. The ability to track where and when a team is expected in a settlement adds accountability and boosts campaign efficiency.  He called on Stakeholders to work together to move from traditional methods to digital tools that deliver faster, higher-quality outcomes.

Niger State Immunization Officer, Usman Abubakar Kpantu, described the tool as a game-changer. He said, “The platform is very user-friendly. Within minutes, we can generate a comprehensive micro-plan. Before now, this would have taken days. This saves us time and allows for more accurate targeting.”

He added that Planfeld should be scaled to the local government level, especially for use by frontline implementers like Ward Focal Persons and Local Immunization Officers (LIOs).

Adding his voice, Kebbi State Immunization Officer, Abubakar Kaoje, noted that the PlanFeld application gives public health workers greater clarity and control when developing microplans for vaccination campaigns. He emphasized its usefulness in addressing high-risk and hard-to-reach areas.

 “We now have a clearer picture of security-compromised areas and can proactively plan for them. During the training, we even mapped out high-risk settlements. That’s progress,” he said.

He stressed the importance of hands-on training and recommended that national and state teams collaborate more closely during implementation to ensure standardization and support.

Planfeld’s success in pilot states like Kebbi has already set the stage for broader deployment. Stakeholders expressed optimism that, with proper rollout and continuous training, Planfeld could support routine immunization efforts, campaign planning, and broader public health initiatives. As the global health community increasingly recognizes the importance of data-driven decision-making, platforms like Planfeld may become essential infrastructure for national immunization programs.

Read more about how PlanFeld Works