Leveraging the Women's Health Equity Index (WHEI) to Transform Women's Health Measurement in Nigeria

Lilian Okeke of the African Field Epidemiology Network in Uganda will develop a health index as a comprehensive, integrated measure of women’s health in Nigeria. The index will be based on existing datasets, including Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Surveys and its Health Management Information System as well as World Bank gender data, with new data collection to fill gaps where feasible. Health outcomes across women’s life course will be stratified by geography, socioeconomic status, and gendered barriers. The index will integrate factors such as education, employment, social protection, and gender-based violence; and data modeling and statistical methods will be incorporated to reveal hidden inequities. The index will be piloted in two Nigerian states, testing its ability to generate actionable evidence to guide health policy, resource allocation, and targeted interventions for more equitable women’s health outcomes.