Using art, games, and virtual reality to turn the tide against health illiteracy, showing that creativity can be used to pass on health information.
Thinking that issues of health can be communicated with simplicity through art seems like a distant reality. However, a section of youth has embraced the idea and is using art as a tool to combat health illiteracy. Their choice of action is informed by statistics, which indicate that globally, 30 percent to over 50 percent of adults have limited health literacy, thus creating barriers to disease prevention, effective self-care, and health management.
Therefore, where traditional health systems and policies have fallen short, solutions are being found in unexpected places such as theatre stages, spoken word circles, dance studios, interactive games, and virtual reality. The youth are turning to art not as a means of entertainment but as a tool to break the silence, undo stigma, and bring health education closer to the people.
A collective experiment
At the heart of this movement is the African Health Grid Foundation (AFHEG Foundation), a youth-led organisation founded in Uganda to advance health literacy through creative education, technology, and storytelling. Recently, AFHEG brought together 26 organisations, including youth movements, media innovators, tourism advocates, and art collectives for the Young Leaders for Arts and Health Kampala Summit, a pilot project designed to shape the future of using art for public health communication in the region.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AFHEG, Phillip Andrew Mwebaza, says: ‘The Kampala Summit was intended as a pilot that will later be implemented across East Africa, through turning art-based health advocacy into a regional force for literacy and empowerment.’
Why art and creative play
Uganda’s health challenges are not only medical but also cultural and social. Conversations around sexual health, menstruation, contraception, or mental illness remain shrouded in stigma. Climate change is reshaping disease patterns, and many communities struggle to grasp the links between environment and health.
‘However, art provides a language that policy briefs cannot. Theatre skits can unpack taboos. Songs cross linguistic and generational divides. Films humanize statistics. Virtual Reality (VR) simulations make climate change and health risks feel immediate. Games simulate health challenges and allow participants to learn by doing,’ Mwebaza explains.
He adds that one of the health literacy board games that AFHEG has developed can teach people how to manage diseases, understand vaccinations, and respond to health emergencies. “Through the board game, players learn by doing, and that experience often sticks much longer than lectures or information on leaflets.”
In regard to theatre, Ian Elijah, a Music, Dance and Drama specialist but also a creative director, noted that, “When participants act out scenarios or improvise, they internalize health messages in ways that are emotional, memorable, and culturally relevant.”
Emmanuel Rukundo, CEO of Keepers XR, described the role of VR. “VR immerses people in realistic health scenarios. Participants can experience the consequences of choices in a safe, simulated environment, which builds understanding and encourages responsible health behaviors.” During the summit, which was also attended by mental health advocates, they stressed the importance of artistic interventions. Faith Agumya, Founder of Kwa Imani Community, highlighted art therapy as a powerful tool for mental wellness. “Creative expression helps people process trauma, reduce stress, and build emotional resilience,” said Agumya.
Fahima Ibrahim, CEO of Nuru Minds Foundation, added that, “Art therapy bridges the gap for those who might struggle with conventional counselling, especially in low-literacy or underserved communities.” At the summit, youth participants engaged with games such as Superbugs Clash, a collaborative board game designed by AFHEG to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance, as well as spoken word, dance, visual art, community theatre, and VR simulations. Each activity was designed for specific reasons, such as sparking empathy, create dialogue, and inspire action towards health in ways that traditional leaflets and lectures cannot.
“Policies may touch the head, but art touches the soul,” reflected Jessica Sheillah Aanyu, President of the YALI Uganda Chapter. “When you put them together, you create transformation.”
Voices from the frontline
Speaking at the summit, Prof Patrick Engeu Ogwang, the scientist behind Covidex, reminded the youth that solutions must be rooted in local realities. “Look for challenges in your society,” he urged. “Create solutions to address them, test and improve them, and ensure they truly meet the needs of the people. Innovation is not about copying from elsewhere. It starts where you are.”
For Jovia Kusiima, Vice Chair of the EU Youth Sounding Board, the urgency lies in breaking the silence around mental health and sexual and reproductive health. “Change often begins with something as simple as a story, a song, or a poem,” she said, adding, “Creative expression dismantles stigma and opens conversations many fear to start,” she noted. For Nakuya Niona Kasekende Ssebukulu, Programme Officer for Population, Health, Environment and Development at Regenerate Africa, she said. “But we must safeguard accuracy, ethics, and cultural sensitivity. That means working with health experts, fact-checking content, and ensuring communities are empowered, not victimized.”
The summit was attended by over youth leaders, art and health influencers, and university students. Mwebaza noted that the purpose of using art to tackle health illiteracy is for impact. “If a young person watches a play about mental health and seeks help, that is impact. If a policymaker hears a spoken word piece and rethinks how to design a law, that is impact as well.”
Uganda’s challenges mirror those faced globally. Centers for Disease Control surveys indicate that many adults struggle with health information. Across Europe, misinformation surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Africa, low literacy levels and digital divides magnify these challenges.
Uganda’s youth-led model offers hope. It demonstrates that health literacy cannot be built through clinics alone or through laws written in inaccessible language. It must also be nurtured in community halls, school theatres, art exhibitions, digital storytelling platforms, and VR spaces, where people can see, feel, and live the message.