The Chairman of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mrs Angela Emuwa, has been honoured with the Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award in recognition of her contributions to healthcare advancement, innovation and community development.
Emuwa was among 10 distinguished women across Africa celebrated at the third edition of the EWAH Awards, themed #EWAHAFRO2026, held in Lagos on Sunday.
The organisers recognised her efforts in promoting improved access to healthcare in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the awards were designed to acknowledge the achievements of women in the health sector, increase visibility for their work, and encourage greater contributions toward strengthening healthcare systems.
Other recipients included the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye; President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Njide Ndili; Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Viviane Ihekweazu; Chief Executive Officer of Advantage Health Africa, Abimbola Adebakin; Chief Executive Officer of ACT Foundation, Osayi Alile; and former Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni.
Also recognised were the Chief Executive Officer of Elin Group Limited, Dr Elizabeth Jack-Rich; Officer-in-Charge of IbuleSoro Basic Health Centre, Adenike Fasawe; Managing Director of Iwosan Lagoon Ambulatory Service and Iwosan Wellness Centre, Dr Oluwatomi Kogo; and Founder of Synlab Nigeria, Dr Pamela Jackson-Ajayi.
Among dignitaries present at the ceremony were the EWAH Grand Matron, Senator Daisy Danjuma, represented by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Patrick Ajah, alongside EWAH alumni led by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr Emmanuella Zamba.
The EWAH Awards celebrate women who have made remarkable contributions to improving healthcare outcomes and promoting gender inclusion in Africa’s health sector.
Established by the Commonwealth Institute, the initiative also advocates closing the gender gap in healthcare leadership.
Speaking after receiving the award, Emuwa described the recognition as an affirmation of PUNCH’s dedication to promoting healthcare development through impactful journalism.
She thanked the organisers for acknowledging the organisation’s role in advancing maternal and child health, immunisation, nutrition, universal health coverage, public health education, healthcare financing and insurance coverage.
Emuwa said the recognition would motivate the organisation to continue highlighting issues that contribute to a stronger healthcare system.
“We sincerely appreciate this recognition, and it inspires us to do even more to ensure that the health of Nigerians remains a priority and that every Nigerian has access to quality healthcare, with no one left behind,” she said.
She added that through the PUNCH Media Foundation and PUNCH Healthwise, the organisation had continued to draw attention to pressing health challenges while encouraging action from government and other stakeholders.
She said, “PUNCH Nigeria Limited, through the PUNCH Media Foundation and PUNCH Healthwise, continues to deepen its health impact in Nigeria and has contributed significantly to improving the country’s healthcare system through our in-depth and investigative health reporting.
“PUNCH drives public understanding of health issues, influences policies and priorities, and holds institutions accountable.
“Our organisation has consistently advanced healthcare access and public health awareness in Nigeria, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health, women’s health, childhood immunisation, nutrition, healthcare financing, and public health.”
According to Emuwa, the organisation has amplified the voices of patients, caregivers and frontline health workers while sustaining conversations around healthcare challenges and solutions.
She reiterated PUNCH’s commitment to advocating increased funding for the health sector and efforts aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality.
“Adequate financing is essential to improving health outcomes.
“We publish stories highlighting the healthcare challenges faced by rural communities and people at the grassroots, ensuring that they have access to basic healthcare services.
“This is extremely important because our work also contributes to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage,” she said.
In her welcome remarks, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EWAH Award Nigeria, Clare Omatseye, said the initiative was intended to inspire positive change and recognise women transforming healthcare delivery.
“When we established this initiative several years ago, our goal was to shine the spotlight on women who are making a difference, transforming communities, and ensuring that patients have access to quality healthcare,” she said.
Omatseye noted that although women make up a significant portion of the healthcare workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions.
“We believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion, but we are not asking for women to overtake men. We simply want women to have a seat at the table and a voice that enables them to make a difference,” she said.
Also speaking, the Regional Representative for EWAH Awards Africa, Dr Bisi Bright, said the initiative honours women who demonstrate exceptional commitment to advancing healthcare.
Bright explained that the programme was created after concerns emerged that while women account for more than 67.7 per cent of the healthcare workforce, less than three per cent hold top leadership positions.
She stressed that recipients were chosen based on impact rather than age or professional background.
“This is different from most awards because the real work begins after you receive it. If you look at our past awardees and honourees, most of them have gone from success to success, from one level to another, and from one height to even greater heights,” she said.
Bright disclosed that LiveWell Initiative had been appointed to coordinate the awards across Africa, with expansion plans covering Ghana, Mauritius, Egypt and Zimbabwe.
Speaking on behalf of the award recipients, Ndili called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to tackle Nigeria’s maternal mortality challenge.
“The statistics show that a woman dies every seven minutes while giving birth. We need to change that,” said Ndili, who also serves as Country Director of PharmaAccess.
Reflecting on the honour, she added, “I’m really excited because this award focuses on Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare. It means the work I’m doing has been recognised as contributing meaningfully to advancing healthcare for the population.”
