By Nnenna Ihebuzor

Faced with the enormous challenge of overcoming Ebola earlier this year, Nigeria now has cause to celebrate. In October, the World Health Organization officially announced Nigeria as free from Ebola. Our nation applied the lessons and resources from our extremely effective polio program to respond to Ebola. And our successful approach to stopping Ebola is now a model for other countries. Nigeria has the chance to lead again to save lives. For every mother-to-be and her newborn child in Africa, this could be a turning point.

Globally, and in Nigeria, we have made significant progress in saving the lives of women and children— more women are surviving childbirth and more children are living beyond age five than ever before. But progress on newborn survival and health has lagged.

Nigeria accounts for nearly one-quarter of Africa’s maternal and newborn deaths. In 2013, 260,000 babies died in our country in their first month of life, and an additional 295,000 were stillborn. Newborns currently account for more than 33 percent of all of our deaths of children under age 5.

We must respond to this crisis. In October, the Ministry of Health, with encouragement and support from our President, First Lady, State Governors and parliamentarians, convened the Nigerian Newborn Health Conference, a high-level advocacy event. At the convening, we addressed the newborn crisis and set in place a plan that will drastically improve newborn survival in Nigeria.

Evidence that was presented from the The Lancet Every Newborn Series showed that by 2025, Nigeria could save the lives of as many as 375,000 mothers and babies each year through proven, cost-effective solutions, quality care delivered at the right time, and focused investments. These interventions can turn the tide for newborns and continue to advance progress for women and children in Nigeria.

Our government responded by making a commitment to newborns and their mothers by signing the Call to Action to Save Newborn Lives, initiating the drafting of the Nigerian Every Newborn Action Plan (NENAP). The NENAP has the potential to be the nation’s most ambitious plan to date to save the lives of mothers and babies who are currently dying at alarming rates. The rest of Africa will be watching. If significant progress in maternal and newborn survival around the time of birth can be achieved in Nigeria, it very likely can be done in their country as well.

Nigeria has proved a leader on health challenges like Ebola, and it is time for Nigeria to lead once more. We have the evidence and we know the strategies needed to create a change that will forever shape the lives of mothers and newborns across our continent. The time to act is now. Let us not miss this moment.

Dr. Nnenna Ihebuzor,  is Director, Primary Health Care Systems Development, National Primary Health Care Development Agency.