“It is when we all share the conviction that ‘all who live, must live to thrive’ that we can truly resolve today’s moral dilemma— and gain a clearer picture of the state of the world’s children beyond the survival agenda.”
Dr. Bolajoko Olusanya - 2005
Bridging the Gap for Disabled Children
Parenting a child with or at risk of developmental disabilities can be overwhelming and isolating. At HSI, we understand these struggles because our founder lived them firsthand. That’s why we’ve built a compassionate, solution-driven organization devoted to advancing the health and well-being of these children. With our evidence-based programs, we’re here to ensure every child receives the early help they need for a brighter future.
Mission, Vision, and Values
To be a global leader in advancing early childhood development through faith-inspired, evidence-based approaches that improve the health, well-being, and inclusion of children with or at risk of developmental disabilities in underserved communities worldwide.
To drive transformative solutions for children with developmental disabilities through groundbreaking research, community-centered interventions, and strategic collaborations, fostering an inclusive future where every child reaches their full potential.
Evidence-Based Innovation
We are committed to pioneering research and applying scientific evidence to create sustainable solutions for developmental disabilities. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovative methodologies, we aim to reduce the prevalence of preventable disabilities and improve early detection and intervention services.
Community-Driven Engagement
Empowering local communities is at the heart of our work. We collaborate with families, caregivers, and community leaders to deliver educational programs, awareness campaigns, and hands-on training that support early childhood development and inclusivity.
Global Advocacy for Inclusion
As advocates for children with developmental disabilities, we work on the global stage to influence policies and foster partnerships. Our efforts aim to ensure equitable access to resources and services for children in low- and middle-income countries, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive society.
Leadership
Our organisation is led by a team of highly cited researchers with over three decades of experience in conducting original research in non-communicable disorders and policy-oriented reviews to advance health equity for children with disabilities and their families.
Dr. Bolajoko O. Olusanya
MBBS, PhD, FMCPaed, FRCPCH, FRSM, FAAS
Dr. Olusanya is the Centre Director of the Healthy Start Initiative (HSI). She is a Nigerian/UK-trained developmental paediatrician with a PhD in Child Health/Audio-Vestibular Medicine from the University College London. She is co-founder of the Centre for Healthy Start Initiative, Nigeria (an Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council), and the Medical Director of First Years Medical Centre and Phonics Hearing Centre in Nigeria.
She is a passionate and evidence-driven advocate for children with disabilities, accountability, and decolonisation in global health. She has authored over 250 peer-reviewed articles spanning paediatrics, otolaryngology, audiology, general/rehabilitative medicine, maternal and child health, and international health policy. Her scientific work is inspired by her personal experience of inclusive education with congenital hearing loss and uniquely focused on community-oriented management of developmental disabilities, including early detection and intervention programmes, as well as the prevention and management of the associated risk factors. She is a reviewer for over 100 Medline-indexed scientific journals, as well as research funding organisations. She serves on the editorial board of BMJ Paediatrics Open, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, International Journal of Audiology, PLOS One, Frontiers in Public Health, Frontiers in Pediatrics, and the Christian Journal for Global Health.
She pioneered the most extensive hospital-based and community-based universal newborn hearing screening programmes in Nigeria/Africa from 2003 to 2008 (UNHS Nigeria). She was a leading contributor to the current World Health Organisation (WHO) classification system for hearing loss (Revised Hearing Loss Grades). She is the lead local investigator for the first and only randomised controlled trial on the use of filtered sunlight phototherapy for treating neonates with severe-to-hazardous hyperbilirubinaemia (Heliotherapy for Jaundice Nigeria). She is a Fellow or Member of several professional associations, including the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), the Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Paediatrics (PMCN), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), the European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability (EACD), the International Epidemiological Association (IEA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, and the American Psychological Association (APA).
She is a Senior Collaborator with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study based at the Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation (IHME), Seattle, USA, and the coordinator/co-founder of the Global Research on Developmental Disabilities Collaborators (GRDDC). She received the 2018 Aram Glorig Award from the International Society of Audiology in recognition of her contribution to global hearing healthcare. She is listed among the world’s top 2% highly-ranked scientists (Elsevier Data Repository). She has been awarded a lifetime, highly ranked scholar status in hearing loss and developing countries in the field of public health by ScholarGPS. She is ranked as the leading researcher in paediatrics in Nigeria and among the top 5 in Africa (AD Scientific Index 2025).
She serves as Co-Chair of The Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss and a member of The Lancet Commission on Disability & Health.
Links to scientific works:
Dr. Funmi Ubogu
MPH, MBA, PhD
Dr Ubogu is Health Systems Advisor for Healthy Start Initiative. She has worked in the hospital environment for forty-seven years. She is a radiographer by training to become a CEO of a 150-bed District hospital. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in hospital management from the University of Witwatersrand, an MBA from Wits Business School, and a Ph.D. from The Da Vinci Institute. She retired in 2024 as medical manager at the Gauteng Department of Health, City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa after a distinguished career in the South African public service for 22 years. As clinical manager at Johannesburg academic Hospital she provided leadership to the professions allied to medicine, food services and radiation sciences by ensuring the delivery of high-quality care for patients as part of the Gauteng Provincial Health Care Services.
She is experienced in working with healthcare professional in Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Radiography, Clinical Technology: Pulmonology, Clinical Technology: Neurophysiology (Adult and Paediatrics), Clinical Technology: Cardiac, Clinical Technology: Renal, Clinical Technology: Perfusion, Podiatry, Food Services, Physiotherapy and Social Work. She has expertise in developing operational guidelines for patient management. She has considerable experience in promoting multi-departmental collaboration for budgeting, sound financial control, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation.
Jacob Olusegun Olusanya
BSc (Econs), MBA, M.CIoD
Mr Olusanya is Co-Founder and Policy Advisor for Healthy Start Initiative. A seasoned economist by training and a retired banker with a distinguished career in the financial services industry in Nigeria from 1983 to 1998. He has extensive experience in managing research projects and grants in global health. He is a Senior Collaborator with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study under the Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation (IHME), Seattle, USA. He is a highly cited researcher with several publications in Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate. He is Vice-Chairman, Phonics Hearing Centre, Nigeria, and co-founder of the Centre for Healthy Start Initiative, Nigeria (an Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council).
He was the pioneer Executive Director and later Managing Director/CEO of Express Discount Limited (a trading and investment firm in financial securities) between 1992 and 1998. He was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria as a non-executive Director of Keystone Bank Limited (KBL) in November 2011, along with a team of experienced bankers, to restructure and privatise KBL, which was successfully concluded in March 2017.
He is an alumnus of several reputable professional training institutions including the Lagos Business School, Nigeria; Institute of Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland; Haggai Institute, Hawaii, USA; Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA and HAAS Business School, University of California, Berkeley, USA. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Directors. He is ranked as one of the top 10 researchers in Nigeria (AD Scientific Index 2025).
Links to scientific works:
Tony Alabi
B.arch, M.arch, Phd.Arch. FNIA, pr.Arch(SA), RIBA
A Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Member South African Institute of Architects and Member Royal Institute of British Architects. He has over two decades in practice and the founding/managing partner of Distiinkt Architects in the AEC Industry and dedicated to infrastructure solutions for the African continent. The firm collaborated with the Senate of the University of Ibadan to design the first Research Foundation in West Africa (UI-RF), in Master planning and execution of phase-one. Which currently produces intense research in all fields of endeavour at post-graduate level for the university. He has spent the last decade redefining service delivery in architecture pedagogy and the profession; in aligning architectural design to research methodologies. He is a member governing council Well Spring University Benin city Nigeria, a member governing council AFMOLED, Johannesburg South Africa and a member University of Ibadan Research Foundation Infrastructure and Energy Think-Tank amongst other positions held in business, the built environment and communities of interests.
MEET THE TEAM
Key Personnel
Dennis Kojo
Research Support
Yemisi Oyegoke
Patient Care Support
Lekan Kehinde
Technician
Segun Oladipupo
Administration
Blessing Ibeneme
Patient Care Support
Segun Adewale
Technician
Sarah Adams
Patient Services
Moyo Adejumo
Logistics
A Visual Journey Through Our Impact
Discover the moments, projects, and initiatives that define our mission to transform lives and inspire change.
Our Partners
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