What is the name of your organization?
Project M-Child
What is the name of your solution?
Project M-Child
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Providing access to cultural relevant information on vaccination and vaccination reminders through our innovative chatbot Ayanfe.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Ibadan, Oyo State
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Nigeria
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
In Africa, Hepatitis B (HBV) is a silent but deadly threat, with over 82 million people chronically infected, and mother-to-child transmission being a major route. The birth-dose HBV vaccine, critical within 24 hours of birth, is often missed in low-resource settings.
In Nigeria, where we work, less than 50% of infants receive all recommended vaccines on time, and only 13% receive the HBV birth dose within 24 hours. In Ona-Ara, Oyo State, most deliveries occur in local maternity homes run by traditional birth attendants (TBAs), where vaccination access, awareness, and records are lacking.
Two key factors drive this problem:
Vaccine Misinformation & Low Health-Seeking Behavior: Many caregivers rely on myths or lack trust in vaccines, especially when delivered by government or unfamiliar providers.
Lack of Awareness & Availability: TBAs, though trusted, are often disconnected from formal health systems and do not offer or refer for timely vaccination.
This leads to missed opportunities, particularly for rural and low-literate mothers. Globally, 20 million infants annually miss life-saving vaccines due to similar barriers. Project M-Child directly tackles these with a local AI chatbot, community partnerships, and culturally adapted messaging.
What is your solution?
Project M-Child is an AI-powered chatbot named Ayanfe, designed to support Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and mothers in rural Nigerian communities by improving awareness and timely uptake of the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine and other routine immunizations.
Ayanfe communicates in Yoruba, using both text and voice to educate TBAs on when and why infants should be vaccinated. It also engages mothers directly, addressing their doubts, correcting misinformation, and explaining facts about vaccines in a relatable and trusted format.
Deployed on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, Ayanfe is accessible on basic smartphones, making it a low-tech yet powerful tool. With over 50 million active Facebook users in Nigeria and WhatsApp being the most used messaging app, these platforms offer high reach even in low-resource communities.
The chatbot sends personalized vaccine reminders, tracks follow-up schedules, and promotes informed health decisions, especially at the crucial birth window.
Ayanfe empowers community caregivers with localized, on-demand guidance, connecting them to life-saving information at their fingertips.
Facebook page Link: http://bit.ly/4jgkxNi
WhatsApp Channel: https://bit.ly/42XmAz1
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Project MChild's offers a scalable and sustainable solution to vaccination inaccessibility while
empowering communities to take ownership of their health outcomes. By increasing vaccination
rates by not less than 50% monthly in maternity homes, the project contributes to better health
outcomes for newborns and reduces the burden of hepatitis B-related diseases in Nigeria. Women
and babies regardless of socioeconomic status, disabilities (blindness and deafness) will be able
to benefit from project Mchild intervention. In doing so, we ultimately contribute to better health
outcomes and a healthier future for Nigerian communities
