Meeting with Her Excellency Dr. Zainab S. Bagudu, Founder of the MEDICAID CANCER FOUNDATION and former First Lady of Kebbi State, was an encounter rich with meaning.
Dr. Adanna Steinacker, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, drew immense inspiration from Dr. Bagudu’s purpose-driven legacy and impactful work in healthcare and cancer advocacy—both within Nigeria and on the global stage.
Nigeria currently bears the world’s highest burden of ‘zero-dose’ children—those who have not received a single vaccine. Compounding this are critically low screening rates for cervical and breast cancers, leading to late diagnoses and preventable deaths among women.
Dr. Steinacker’s office is committed to addressing these urgent gaps by improving coordination and scaling up access to life-saving interventions, including:
👉🏿 Essential childhood immunisations
👉🏿 The HPV vaccine for adolescent girls
👉🏿 Timely cervical and breast cancer screenings through the “Prevent A Death” initiative.
These efforts form part of the broader Healthy Women, Healthy Nation national advocacy campaign.
A strategic partnership with Dr. Bagudu and the dedicated team at MEDICAID CANCER FOUNDATION is timely and deeply aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the preventative health priorities under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Together, they aim to drive smarter coordination, build stronger health systems, and implement bold, preventive solutions that improve outcomes—especially for women and girls across Nigeria.
