By Stellamaris Ashinze
HealthKraft, a health communication platform has announced plans to raise a $5 million Health Creator Fund to combat misconceptions and strengthen digital health literacy across Africa.
The Founder, HealthKraft, Dr Olawale Ogunlana, disclosed this on Sunday night at the first edition of the health creators’ convergence held in Lagos.
Ogunlana said that the proposed fund would support over 800 healthcare professionals.
“This includes at least 300 existing creators and 500 new entrants that will produce credible and accessible health content across digital platforms,” he said.
He added that the initiative was designed to address the growing influence of online misinformation, as more people increasingly seek health information on social media and search engines before consulting professionals.
“Preventive healthcare has moved from the four walls of clinics to the four corners of digital screens.
“We cannot fight coordinated misinformation with underfunded enthusiasm.
“This fund is aimed at building a structured, well-resourced digital health workforce,” he said.
Ogunlana added that the fund would provide grants, technical support and production infrastructure, including access to media studios, equipment and content distribution systems.
He said that the initiative would be implemented in phases, beginning with partner mobilisation in June and grant deployment in the third quarter of 2026.
The founder added that the fund would be supported through partnerships with corporate organisations, development finance institutions and government agencies with provisions for transparent management by institutional fund managers.
He identified key challenges facing health creators to include high production costs, limited funding and social media algorithms that often prioritise sensational content over evidence-based information.
Also speaking, Andy Pattison, Team Lead, Frontier Technologies, at the World Health Organisation (WHO), stressed the urgency of promoting credible health information online.
Pattison said the organisation was working to ensure accurate health messages reached more people through multiple digital channels, while also countering misinformation.
“Misinformation thrives in a vacuum, so we must ensure that credible voices are visible and accessible.
“Today, a significant proportion of healthcare journeys begin online, making digital platforms critical to public health communication,” he noted.
Pattison said the WHO-backed “Fides” network supported healthcare professionals with verified content, training and partnerships with technology platforms to amplify their reach.
Some participants at the event emphasised the need for sustained collaboration, funding and innovation to improve health literacy and influence positive behavioural change across the continent.
They expressed optimism that initiatives such as the proposed fund would strengthen public trust in health information and improve health outcomes in Africa.
NAN reports that HealthKraft Africa is an Africa’s medical communications consortium, which translates complex clinical science into engaging, verified, and culturally relevant digital content that captivates audiences and ultimately saves lives.
As one of the leading medical communications coalition, HealthKraft Africa connects verified healthcare professionals and their partners with patients through engaging, life-saving digital health content, powered by technology. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Christiana Fadare
