Onyedikachi Chioma Nwakanma
Communications Director & Founder
A Nigerian board certified medical doctor in public health practice, writer, healthcare thought leader and TEDx speaker with years of experience in health communication/advocacy, sexual & reproductive health and rights, leadership and project management in healthcare. She is the communications director for Medically Speaking Africa and the Founder of SMILE With Me Foundation, an NGO leveraging on digital health technology to reduce mortality rates from preventable diseases in low-middle income African communities using health education and health aids as tools. A 2020 fellow of the Young African Leaders Institute (YALI RLC West Africa).
She is popularly known on social media as “Dr Zobo”, for her creative use of social media to combat health misinformation with fact checks, influence healthy lifestyle practices in millions of Nigerians, as well as drive health advocacy for Universal health coverage in Nigeria. This has grossly helped in mortality rate reduction, from preventable diseases.
Chioma believes Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is possible in Nigeria and that health education is a powerful tool in prevention, hence her life’s commitment to curb Africa’s mortality rate through public health education.
In 2019, she received the Lord’s Achievers Honoree healthcare, for her outstanding work in Sexual and reproductive health care education and advocacy, especially around cervical cancer prevention and cancer. In 2020, she was nominated by The Future Awards Africa for excellence in the Health and Wellness category.
She was named one of the 10 most influential youths in Abia State by the state ministry of youths and culture in 2018. Listed one of the #Top20OpinionLeaders on Twitter by the Hedge report 2019. Named one of the 100 most powerful Nigerians under-40, “Influencer category”, 2020 by YNaija. She is a member of the Women in Global Health Nigeria Chapter, MWAN, NMA, “She Decides Movement”.
She has worked with various healthcare brands in digital media training, consulting and influencing capacities. Some of her work, contributions and articles have been featured and recognized on BBC Africa, CNN Africa, The Guardian UK, Business Elites Africa, Guardian Life, Business Day, Channels TV, Plus Tv Africa, and a host of other media outlets where she speaks frequently. She is a closet musician and a chair dancer who tweets @DrZobo on Twitter and IG.