ASP Summit: eHealth Africa, Partners Unite to Deploy Creative Solutions for Social Impact

Nairobi, Kenya – May 2025 – eHealth Africa in partnership with Bella Naija hosted a dynamic side session at the Africa Soft Power Summit titled “Edutainment: A Creative Solution for Social Impact in Africa,” spotlighting the powerful intersection of entertainment, media, and health. The conversation, held in Nairobi, Kenya,  brought together health experts, media practitioners, and communication leaders from across Africa to explore how creative and entertainment industries can collaborate with the health sector to drive transformative, scalable impact across the continent.

This session was co-hosted and moderated by eHealth Africa’s Director of Partnerships and Programs, Ota Akhigbe, and Chief of Staff/Head of Strategies at BellaNaija, Mary Edoro. The session also featured influential voices such as Enock Musyoka, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Reach Digital Health; Nelson Aseka, Founder and CEO of AIfluence; and Jay Shapiro, CEO of Usiku Games. Additionally, Dr. Christabel Gero from the Population Council’s GIRL Center and Bridget Deacon from SHUJAAZ delivered compelling presentations on preliminary findings from research into digital Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) platforms.

During the bold and inspiring session, industry leaders delved into how creative media is influencing health behavior change among youth, and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like chatbots are being integrated into public health campaigns to make information more accessible and engaging. Panelists also emphasized the importance of building community trust and leveraging peer influence to drive behavior change and foster safer, more inclusive digital spaces for all.Speaking during the event, the Partnerships and Programs Director at eHealth Africa, Ota Akhigbe, emphasized the urgent need for collaboration across sectors, particularly as Africa accelerates the adoption of digital health solutions in underserved communities. “It’s far more powerful for ten organizations to come together to create something transformative that outlives and outlasts them, rather than for each to work in isolation,” she said.

On the vital role of media strategies in health and technology campaigns, Mary Edoro underscored the importance of having a proper media strategy during health and social impact campaigns.. “Beyond pictures and curated videos, we need to focus on the story we’re telling to the rest of the world,” She said. 

Nelson Aseka underscored the role of AI and local context in promoting behavior change. “AI should not be seen as a complex robot aiming to replace jobs. It’s a tool that enhances efficiency, freeing up time,” he said. He also described AIfluence’s consumer insights-driven approach, which uses real-time feedback and youth-led research to ensure messages resonate deeply with target audiences.

As partners continue to explore the potential of collaboration, Enoch Musyoka commended eHealth Africa for its deliberate efforts in developing digital solutions and promoting meaningful stakeholder engagement. He said, “Seeing what different organizations are already doing,  and how analog processes are being transformed into digital formats, shows there is potentially a better impact in working together,” he noted. 

A standout theme from the session was the role of storytelling and media in engaging young people with relatable, authentic, and highly visual content. Speakers emphasized meeting youth where they are, using creativity to design solutions that are youth-led and insight-driven.

This bold session opened up conversations around the formation of a consortium partnership, aiming to harness storytelling not just as entertainment but as a strategic tool for education, engagement, and community empowerment. As a leader in digital health innovation, eHealth Africa remains committed to cross-sector collaboration that builds resilient health systems reflecting African realities.

About eHealth Africa
eHealth Africa (eHA) is a non-profit organization committed to strengthening health systems across Africa through the design and implementation of data-driven solutions. Over the past 15 years, eHA has built a robust technological and operational platform tailored to address complex health delivery challenges. By opening its operational, management, partnership, and technology platforms to others, eHA accelerates the adoption of impactful innovations.

Leveraging global insights and local expertise, the organization develops sustainable public health solutions that are adaptable to diverse African contexts. We have country offices and local government coordinators stationed in Nigeria, additional resource capacity, and strategic partnerships in Nigeria and 27 other African countries, across West, Central, East, and Southern Africa.

For more information, visit: www.ehealthafrica.orgMedia Contact:
Favour Oriaku
Knowledge Management and Ag. Communications Lead, eHealth Africa
favour.oriaku@ehealthnigeria.org