The inaugural meeting of the GELA Steering Group Nigeria held on the 7th of December 2022 at the Statement Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria. The steering Group was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Health for Nigeria represented by Dr. David Atuwo (mni). The meeting had in attendance participants from various units/divisions of the Federal Ministry of Health, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), representatives from professional groups such as Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine (NISOMN), Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) and Cochrane Nigeria.
In addition to the inauguration of the Steering Group, the meeting had the following objectives:
- To present the report on the National newborn and child-health clinical practice guidelines landscape analysis
- To identify top 3 guideline questions (using PICOs) in newborn and child health In Nigeria (following the report on the priority setting survey results)
- To identify potential guideline development group (GDG) members for the three priority topics identified
- To identify capacity needs of steering group members
After the inauguration of the Steering Group, the technical session commenced with presentations by the Principal Investigator of the GELA project in Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Effa on the GELA project and the Landscape analysis of National newborn and child-health clinical practice guidelines in Nigeria. Members of the Steering group provided comments and feedback on the presentations.
The second technical session featured a presentation of the summary of the results of the Priority survey on Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria by the Senior Scientist on the GELA Project. The presentation highlighted topics ranked as very critically important and critically important and set the premise for deliberations on the topics for Clinical Practice Guideline Development. The deliberations were moderated by the Co-Chair of the Steering Group, Professor Afolabi Lesi. The Steering Group unanimously agreed to proceed with four topics.
1. Interventions for improving identification and early referral of high-risk pregnancies
2. Management of neonates and infants with clinical severe infection or critical illness
3. Management of low birth weight and preterm babies
4. Interventions for improving antenatal uptake and birth preparedness