Sub-Saharan Africa Bears 30% of Global Congenital Disorders Amid Newborn Screening Gap

Omolabake Fasogbon

Gaps in Newborn Screening (NBS) have left Sub-Saharan Africa grappling with about 30 per cent of global cases of congenital anomalies in children. 

These birth defects, largely detectable for timely treatment, are also blamed for about 30 per cent of under-5 deaths in the region.

A pediatrician and epidemiologist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adejumoke Idowu Ayede who disclosed this recently, blamed the situation on the region’s historical neglect of newborn screening. 

This, she informed, has left many children born decades ago exposed and several living with irreversible disabilities.

Speaking at the launch of a campaign by ISN Medical, in partnership with Revvity, to screen one million newborns in Nigeria from 2026 to 2030, Ayede noted that while the region is gradually waking up to this reality, efforts remain insufficient.

“Progress is currently marred by fragmented screening practices, inadequate funding, and poor data management platforms,” she noted. 

The campaign launch brought together government agencies, healthcare practitioners, professional bodies, and development partners to build a sustainable newborn screening ecosystem that ensures every child has access to early diagnosis, regardless of where they are born.

Ayede referenced a recently released World Health Organisation (WHO) report titled ‘Strengthening Capacity for Newborn Screening, Diagnosis and Management of Birth Defects’ as a guide and ideal destination for newborn screening practices that the region, and indeed Nigeria, should adopt. 

She maintained that NBS requires utmost priority in Nigeria, given that the country ranks second highest globally in newborn deaths and continues to regress.

Quoting a 2023 scoping review by the Sub-Saharan African Congenital Anomalies Network (sSCAN), Ayede noted that while regions like Europe and North America have recorded about a 36 per cent reduction in congenital anomaly-related deaths through structured newborn screening programs, Africa has achieved only about a one percent reduction.

Stressing the importance of NBS, she said, “This has evolved into a cornerstone of early life intervention. Any tool that protects the brain and reduces infant mortality is incredibly important. Screening allows for the timely detection and treatment of conditions that we otherwise cannot prevent from occurring.”

She added that Nigeria can learn from low- and middle-income countries that have made tremendous progress in NBS, citing the Philippines, which is able to screen for over 30 conditions.

While she appreciated the intervention by ISN Medical and Revvity to screen one million newborn babies by the end of 2030, she tasked government and other stakeholders to step up support to reach the approximately seven million babies born in Nigeria annually.

On his part, the Managing Director of ISN Medical, Felix Ofungwu, said the intervention was designed to improve child health outcomes by promoting early diagnosis and timely treatment of congenital conditions that often go undetected until symptoms become severe.

“This event is more than a launch; it is an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of newborn screening and the critical role each of us will play in building a sustainable and accessible screening ecosystem that reaches every child, regardless of where they are born,” he stated.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to boosting maternal and child health through strategic, evidence-based partnerships.

Represented by the ministry’s Child Health Director, Dr. Amina Mohammed, Pate praised the campaign as a timely initiative that directly aligns with the ministry’s Health Sector Reform Agenda.