When design saves lives: How AwaDoc is using WhatsApp and AI to transform healthcare across Africa

In 2022, a product designer, Michael Oyewusi, experienced a tragedy that would later shape one of Africa’s most promising health-tech platforms. His father slipped into a coma after being misdiagnosed and failing to access the right care on time. No system could help him understand his symptoms, no immediate medical guidance, and no quick channel to reach the right support. 

“Millions of people across Africa face the same delays,” Michael says. 

That mission would eventually contribute to the creation of AwaDoc, an AI-powered, WhatsApp-based health assistant built to give instant medical guidance to anyone, anywhere. 

“This tragedy became the foundation for his mission as a founding product designer.”

The Problem: The First 5 Minutes Can Determine Life or Death 

Across Africa, healthcare challenges often begin before a patient reaches a clinic. Confusion about symptoms, slow response times, poor diagnosis, long queues, and the absence of immediate triage support leave many people vulnerable. 

AwaDoc was designed to solve that exact moment, the first 5 minutes of uncertainty, which often determines the outcome. 

Why WhatsApp? Meeting Users Where They Already Are 

One of the team’s most important design decisions was to build AwaDoc directly inside WhatsApp. With no new app to download, no complex interface, and no barriers to entry, AwaDoc lives inside a platform millions already trust. 

This drastically reduced friction and accelerated adoption. 

Users simply message AwaDoc on WhatsApp, answer a few guided questions, and receive clear, actionable medical advice instantly. 

The AI Layer: A Calm, Intelligent First Responder 

Michael led the design of the AI experience, a system built to feel human, simple, and reassuring. 

AwaDoc’s AI: 

● asks structured, symptom-based questions 

● detects emergencies and red flags 

● determines whether a case is severe 

● gives step-by-step guidance 

● connects users to verified medical professionals 

● supports people during moments of panic and uncertainty

In communities with limited medical access, AwaDoc serves as a rapid first responder, helping users understand what to do immediately. 

Built for Africa’s Reality 

The design of AwaDoc was heavily shaped around African realities: 

● low medical literacy 

● low data usage 

● unreliable internet 

● emotional distress in emergencies 

● limited access to trusted doctors 

“AwaDoc needed to work for the teenager alone with a sick parent, the mother in a rural town, the worker experiencing symptoms at night, anyone, anywhere,” Michael explains. 

“It had to work instantly, regardless of their situation.” 

How Fast It Happened: From Idea to 20 Countries in Less Than 6 Months 

Ideation for AwaDoc began in December 2024, driven by the team’s shared frustration with Africa’s challenges in healthcare access. After an intense design and engineering sprint, the platform officially launched in April 2025. 

What happened next was unexpected, even for the founders. 

Impact: 100,000+ Users, 20 Countries, and Over 1 Million Messages in Less Than 6 Months 

Since launch, AwaDoc has recorded remarkable traction across the continent, with 100,000+ users, over 1,140,778 messages exchanged, and 125,871,290 words generated through user interactions and 11,000 Total Consultations, reflecting the scale of trust Africans place in instant, AI-powered healthcare support.

Thousands of medical interactions happen daily, including multiple documented cases where AwaDoc helped users act quickly during emergencies. 

A Team Driven by Purpose 

AwaDoc was built by a dedicated team, including the founders Dr. Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor) and Jesse Benedict. Other team members include Dr. Joy Aifuhobokhan, Chibueze Aniezeofor, Peter, Testament Onafowokan, Promise, Joseph Chimaeze, Julian Duru, and Michael Piper, whose collective engineering and operational expertise brought the product to life. 

What’s Next: Building Africa’s Fastest Healthcare Access System 

The team is currently developing a Partner Dashboard that will allow thousands of clinics, doctors, and pharmacies to operate directly within AwaDoc’s ecosystem, turning AwaDoc into a continent-wide medical access channel. 

The long-term vision is clear: To become Africa’s fastest, simplest, and most reliable entry point to trusted healthcare using AI and everyday communication tools.

Turning Personal Loss Into Continental Impact 

For Michael, AwaDoc is more than a product; it is a response to a loss that reshaped his purpose. 

“My father didn’t have access to something like this,” he says. 

“But today, thousands of people do. And that’s why I build.” 

AwaDoc is proof of what happens when thoughtful design, AI, and human empathy come together, and how a single design decision can save lives across Africa. 

Beyond the Product: Representing AwaDoc, Driving Adoption, and Strengthening Impact 

Beyond internal leadership, Michael also represented AwaDoc at major tech events, managing the product stand, pitching the solution to attendees, and engaging directly with potential partners and users. These field interactions allowed him to gather real-time feedback, understand user needs across different markets, and identify new opportunities to improve the product. 

Being entrusted to lead external product demos and discussions reinforced his role as a strategic leader and founding member. These engagements ensured that field insights flowed directly into AwaDoc’s product direction, design decisions, and user experience.

This external leadership also contributed significantly to AwaDoc’s early fundraising success. AwaDoc has raised a portion of its $500k pre-seed round via a SAFE, as part of its $2.5m valuation — a milestone that reflects both traction and belief in the vision.