Championing Tomorrow’s Health: The Story of CANHENT

In a world where the voices of children and adolescents are often drowned out by the noise

of policy debates and adult-centered priorities, the Child and Adolescent Health Network

(CANHENT) stands as a beacon of advocacy, collaboration, and change.

Founded on the belief that every child deserves a healthy start and every adolescent

deserves a safe transition into adulthood, CANHENT is bridging the gaps that have long

hindered access to quality health and developmental support for young people across Africa.

At its core, CANHENT is more than a health initiative, it’s a movement of professionals,

advocates, and changemakers united by one mission: to strengthen and implement

initiatives

that advance maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health within the comprehensive

framework of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, and Nutrition Health

(RMNCAH+N).

Through strategic partnerships, evidence-based advocacy, and community engagement, the

network works to ensure that proven, life-saving interventions reach every community, clinic,

and

child, no matter where they are.But what truly sets CANHENT apart is its people-centered

approach. The network doesn’t just work for children and adolescents, it works with them

through collaborating with communities, government, and global partners including World

Health Organization (WHO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), University of Oxford,

University of Ibadan, Federal and State

Ministries of Health in Nigeria, UNICEF, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF),

as well as local community health boards and partner NGOs.

Behind every initiative is a vision: to build a generation that not only survives but thrives.

From championing early childhood care to advancing maternal health to pushing for

stronger health systems, CANHENT is committed to building healthier futures for every

generation.

Over the years, the network has collaborated with partners across academia, government,

and civil society birthing several landmark Initiatives including the Antenatal Corticosteroid

(ACS)

Guideline Development Project, a collaborative effort improving preterm birth outcomes; the

Sick and Small Newborn Care (SSNC) Project at the State Hospital, Oyo, which

strengthened

capacity for neonatal care and emergency response; and Obstetric Ultrasound Training

across 10 states, empowering healthcare workers to enhance maternal and fetal health

outcomes. In 2020, a partnership with the University of Oxford facilitated an exchange visit

by Prof. Steven Kennedy to deepen research collaboration on maternal and neonatal health.

Additionally, the organization participated in the WHO/BMGF Multicentre Clinical Trial on

Simplified Antibiotic Regimens, whose findings now inform WHO recommendations on

community-based management of neonatal sepsis, proving that collective action can

transform systems. Through training, policy dialogues, and research dissemination,

CANHENT equips health professionals, students, and institutions with the tools to make

informed and sustainable interventions.As one of its founders often says,

“Health is not just

the absence of disease, it’s the foundation for potential.

” That belief drives everything

CANHENT does.

In a time when global health narratives are shifting, CANHENT looks ahead with clarity in

building a sustainable framework for long-term impact through digital health innovations for

newborn care, expanded training programs for healthcare providers, regional collaborationson newborn and adolescent health, public engagement campaigns that drive awareness and

advocacy, and initiatives advancing newborn brain development. Creating a future where

every mother, child and adolescent has the chance to live, learn, and lead with dignity.

Because when we invest in their health, we invest in our collective tomorrow.