Picture this: an artificial intelligence (AI) system creates a bright, youth-focused social media post for young Kenyans, complete with local slang and the phrase “YOUNG, LIT, AND VAXXED!” This message tackles the fear that vaccination will affect fertility – a fear that has serious health consequences. But something feels off about an algorithm trying to sound cool while discussing reproductive health.
This scenario is one of dozens of health messages analysed in a recent study of health campaign communication in Nigeria and Kenya.
Our research team analysed and compared 120 health messages: 80 from traditional sources like health ministries and non-government organisations, and 40 generated by AI systems.
We focused on two critical health topics: vaccine hesitancy and maternal healthcare.
The results reveal a surprising twist in the global rush to use AI for health communication: neither approach proved superior. AI was more creative but error-prone. Traditional campaigns were authoritative but rigid. This underscores the real challenge: designing health communication that is accurate and culturally responsive.
Kenya and Nigeria aren’t newcomers to health technology innovation. Both have consistently adapted their health communication as new technologies emerged.
In the 1980s and 1990s, health campaigns relied on printed posters, radio jingles and clinic-based education. By the 2010s, mobile phones and platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook were transforming health messaging. Text message alerts and WhatsApp groups became essential tools for organisations and health ministries. They shared updates on HIV, maternal health and COVID-19. In Nigeria, Igbo-language radio campaigns like “Kill Mosquito, Stop Malaria” improved message understanding among rural women.
Now AI represents the next wave. The World Health Organization has launched S.A.R.A.H (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health), designed specifically for health communication. Meanwhile, general AI tools like ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) are being used to craft vaccination campaigns and maternal health advice.
Kenya has developed a national AI strategy for healthcare. Nigeria too is exploring AI tools to strengthen health systems.
