A researcher at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Ibraheem Awowole, has won a Gates Foundation-funded project to implement the Pregnancy Risk Stratification Innovations in Maternal Health (PRIME) grant for three years. 

A statement by the university on Friday said the worth of the grant is US$5 million and will include implementation partners such as the Jhpiego, federal ministry of health and social welfare and seven state-level ministries of health in the country in the initial phase.  

The statement noted that Mr Awowole’s work on PRIME targets reducing maternal deaths in Nigeria by 60% with Nigeria accounting for a quarter of global maternal deaths.

“The project will be led by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and implemented across seven Nigerian states: Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe and Jigawa,” the statement said.

The institution’s Vice- Chancellor, Simeon Bamire, in a meeting with the Research Lead, noted that the grant showed what happened when a researcher took a national problem and decided to lead. 

“OAU is proud that this work from Ile-Ife will shape how women are cared for in these seven states, and eventually the country as a whole,” Mr Bamire stated.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Innovation and Development, Akanni Akinyemi, also expressed the university’s commitment to supporting researchers that can translate evidence into tangible results that reach people and transform lives.

The provost of the college of health sciences, Bernice Adegbehingbe, further highlighted the importance of the project, noting that “most women who die from pre-eclampsia could have been saved if screening had been carried out early to detect the risk. 

“A project like PRIME puts simple, proven tools in the hands of the health workers who see these women first. We are grateful to the Gates Foundation, and we will deliver,” Ms Adegbehinde noted.

The institution congratulated the winner, affirming its unwavering support for the project.