By Victor Okun

The 2023 Women’s Digital Health Innovation Challenge concluded this week with groundbreaking, data-driven solutions designed to advance reproductive, maternal, and child health (RMNCH) equity across underserved Nigerian communities.

Jointly supported by leading public-health partners and digital-innovation advocates, the Challenge embodies the World Bank’s strategic goal of leveraging digital transformation to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and to improve access to primary healthcare in low-resource settings.

From a competitive pool of 246 submissions spanning 10 states, only 15 innovative concepts progressed to the final stage, and six projects were ultimately awarded implementation funding following rigorous multi-criteria evaluation. These winning innovations demonstrate strong potential for scale, sustainability, and measurable community impact in alignment with national and global health priorities.

A distinguished panel of judges—Dr. Chidinma Okafor (Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital), Mr. Adewale Johnson (Digital Health Specialist, Hygiea Foundation), and Ms. Ashiata Yetunde Mustapha (Public Health Expert and Maternal-Health Equity Advocate)—guided the evaluation process. Each juror was selected for their professional authority and demonstrated leadership in public health, clinical practice, health innovation, and gender-responsive program design. Their collective expertise ensured that the review process reflected the highest standards of scientific rigor, equity assessment, and feasibility analysis, consistent with the World Health Organization’s digital-health evaluation frameworks.

Proposals were scored across four key dimensions: clinical relevance, equity and inclusion impact, technological feasibility, and scalability potential. This structured and transparent assessment framework underscores the organizers’ commitment to accountability and evidence-based decision-making. According to the Challenge Secretariat, “the diversity of the judging panel brought unparalleled credibility and transparency to the selection process—ensuring that each chosen solution is both contextually grounded and capable of transforming the lives of women and children across Nigeria.”

Beyond recognition, the six awardees will receive technical mentorship, implementation funding, and monitoring support to pilot their solutions in target communities. These initiatives collectively aim to strengthen Nigeria’s primary-health-care ecosystem and support digital-inclusion objectives championed by the World Bank’s Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) initiative and the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF). Winners will be publicly unveiled in subsequent communications following project onboarding and due diligence processes.