For a long time, healthcare in Kenya was reactive. You went to the doctor when something hurt, something changed or something worried you. Preventative health felt like a luxury; almost like an add-on. But lately, something has shifted.
The youth, especially young women, are becoming more curious about their bodies. They want to understand their hormones, cycles, skin, nutrition and mental health long before anything goes wrong.
Preventative health is now being shaped less by hospitals and more by the digital world. A single Instagram post from a creator about pap smears can spark more conversation than a billboard.
A TikTok on diabetes can reach thousands of households within hours. A podcast episode about anxiety can encourage someone to finally book a therapy session. This shift is happening because health information has become human. And influencers in the healthtech space are at the centre of it.
Kenya has its own growing wave of credible health creators. Dr Chris Obwaka, a gynaecologist known for his educational Instagram content, breaks down women’s health questions many were previously too shy to ask.
The Wandering Doctor, an aesthetic doctor, has built a community through relatable dermatology content that clears up skin misconceptions with warmth and clarity. And across the continent, creators like Nigeria’s Aproko Doctor with his Nkechi & Emeka personas have shown how one digital voice can shape how millions think about preventative care.
I saw this up close while working on the Pima Leo Ishi Kesho campaign; a nationwide cervical, breast, prostate and colon cancer awareness initiative in partnership with M-Pesa Foundation and Zuri Health.
When health creators like Dr Obwaka and the Wandering Doctor explained screening in simple, everyday language, engagement surged. Women asked questions they’d carried quietly for years. Men engaged with topics they often avoid.
The difference wasn’t just the information; it was the tone. It felt like a friend guiding you, not a system lecturing you.
This is the new power of health creators. They translate complex topics into content people actually want to consume: carousels, storytelling reels, live Q&As and IG stories.
And people respond because the content feels real, accessible and judgment-free.
For healthtech companies, this is a major opportunity. A thoughtful partnership with creators builds trust faster than traditional advertising. With the right message, a creator can boost awareness around screenings, lab tests, medication delivery, insurance usage and early detection in a way that feels like a conversation, not a campaign.
But for this to work, brands must rethink how they communicate.
Preventative health messaging can’t sound clinical or overly scientific. It has to meet people where they already are: online, learning from peers in quick, culturally relevant formats.
The strongest content today sits at the intersection of storytelling and science; real faces, real language, real experience, backed by credible information.
Preventative health may be a medical concept but getting people to embrace it is a marketing challenge. And right now, digital creators and healthtech influencers are leading the way.
Maureen Mutisya is marketing and brand strategist and founder of Mollage Media
