Raising awareness of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Client AstraZeneca & DigitasLBi

The Challenge

According to the World Health Organization, Sub-Saharan Africa faces a significant challenge with hypertension, with approximately 46% of adults aged 25 years and older being affected. Low compliance and adherence to medical advice contribute to poor blood pressure control in this region. Our task was to design and prototype innovative, low-tech, and creative methods to engage and educate Sub-Saharan African communities about their health and wellbeing.

Our approach

To tackle this challenge, our service design team implemented a 12-week innovation process that involved engaging with communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Our primary objective was to conduct field research, gaining insights into their daily lives and attitudes towards health. This research enabled us to identify areas for frugal innovation. We rapidly designed and built service concepts along with low-tech prototypes. Additionally, we collaborated closely with the communities to prototype two service ideas, refining them based on their feedback. Simultaneously, we developed social business models and sought partnerships for scalability.

The outcome

The culmination of our efforts resulted in the development of a final concept called Mama Moyo (meaning Mother Heart), an SMS service designed to provide friendly and accessible daily tips and advice on exercise and diet. We wanted the service to feel like a trusted member of one's family. Mama Moyo aims to empower individuals by delivering personalised health-related content directly to their phones. By creating a familiar and supportive environment, the service encourages positive lifestyle changes that can improve overall health and wellbeing.