In a innovative move, Nigerian youths have employed music and creative initiatives to raise awareness about critical health issues, including HIV testing, HPV vaccination, hepatitis B prevention, hypertension, and stroke.
Led by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, this initiative empowers young Nigerians to take ownership of their health through culturally relevant and engaging strategies, tackling some of the country’s most pressing health concerns in a unique and effective way.
The “I Test” project, initially launched to promote HIV self-testing among young Nigerians, has expanded to use Afrobeat music to raise awareness about various diseases, including stroke, HIV, and hypertension.
At the closing ceremony of a 21-day boot camp for young musicians, Professor Oliver Ezechi, Director of Research at NIMR, announced that the project aims to educate listeners about hypertension and stroke through catchy songs, increasing awareness and early detection.
The songs, produced in a free downloadable album, aim to empower listeners with essential health knowledge, potentially transforming public health outcomes.
Ezechi emphasized the importance of youth involvement in health innovation, sustaining efforts, and utilizing creative mediums like music to make significant strides in public health awareness and disease prevention.
The project brought together 15 teams of young Nigerians for a 21-day boot camp, focusing on specific health challenges, including HIV self-testing, HPV vaccination, hepatitis B prevention, and hypertension and stroke awareness.
Ezechi stressed the need for community engagement and proactive measures in health education, ensuring that efforts resonate widely and effectively across diverse Nigerian communities.
“Our approach extends beyond music to empower communities in understanding and managing health challenges. We engage young people not just as beneficiaries but as co-creators of sustainable health solutions.
“Community involvement is key to our projects’ success. We bring together diverse stakeholders, from healthcare professionals to local leaders, to ensure our interventions are culturally sensitive and effective.
“In tackling vaccination hesitancy, we involve young teams in brainstorming sessions and intensive workshops. This participatory approach ensures our strategies are rooted in community insights and realities.
“Our goal is not just to implement programs but to foster a sense of ownership within communities. By empowering local youth and leaders, we aim for sustainable health improvements that endure beyond our direct interventions,” he noted.
Professor Joseph Tucker, a medicine expert at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, highlighted the significance of leveraging local expertise and empowering Nigerian youth to tackle critical health issues.
He praised the innovative approach of using music, calling it a “fantastic idea” and commended the dedication of the young participants involved in the project.
He elaborated, “There are vaccines for HPV and Hepatitis B but the problem with these vaccines is that people hesitate to take them. HPV vaccine is for girls aged 9 to 14, and this is a highly effective vaccine, but we need to find new strategies to promote HPV vaccination. And so that’s what the HPV programme has done. Young teams of mothers, and daughters have come together to develop innovative strategies to increase HPV vaccination.
“For the young people here, my message is that the future is bright and continue all the great work that you’re doing. If you’re a young researcher interested in doing this, I would encourage you to talk to colleagues at NIMR, apply for grants, and learn more about this specific program. There’s a bunch of opportunities.”
Professor Juliet Ezekwe, a medicine expert from Washington DC, emphasized the destructive impact of preventable diseases and stressed that communities themselves hold the key to solving some of these health challenges.
She underscored the importance of community involvement in shaping health solutions, noting that empowering communities to share their insights and solutions is crucial for sustainable health progress.
According to her, communities possess firsthand experience, knowledge, and resilience to combat health challenges, and while experts can offer guidance, true progress lies in community empowerment.
Over the past year, she said, a platform has been created for young Nigerians to share ideas and solutions for tackling critical health issues like cervical cancer, hypertension, and stroke, with community members offering practical solutions, demonstrating their capacity to drive positive change.
Meanwhile, Professor Collins Airhiheneuwa, a public health researcher at Georgia State University, emphasized the importance of local lived experiences and community-driven solutions in the initiatives, highlighting the critical role of partnerships and sustainable funding in ensuring the longevity and effectiveness of the programs.
“It also reflects that these youths have a Nigerian identity while sharing certain qualities and values with the global population.
They bring Nigerian ideas to the global forum to show that Nigerians recognize the ways young people can get involved in HIV self-testing.
Different youths use music to teach about stroke and hypertension awareness, promote the availability of the HPV vaccine, and ensure parents encourage and support their daughters to be vaccinated.
These are new areas for us in Nigeria to address—not just the vaccine—but starting now by seeking the voices of young people to be involved in the solutions we generate,” he mentioned.
