Alum Chisha Chola harnesses AI and digital tools to transform public health communications across Southern Africa.
Balancing field visits, strategic meetings, and multiple content streams left Chisha Chola facing a common reality in public health work: burnout from manual processes and fragmented communication systems. His response was to ask two questions that would reshape his approach to health communications: How can technology simplify complex communication in public health? And how can AI prevent burnout while improving impact?
As Communications and Marketing Lead at the Learning Centre for Quality Management (LCQM) under Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, Chisha oversees strategic communication and knowledge dissemination for quality improvement programmes across the country’s healthcare system. AI has become integral to how his team works, from generating insights from data tracking over 110 district health Quality Improvement projects to producing engaging content for diverse audiences.
One of Chisha’s most practical innovations addresses the challenge of reaching communities where they are, in their first languages. Using AI-powered translation tools, he can quickly adapt materials from English to Chichewa, ensuring content remains culturally relevant and accessible. This has transformed both the speed and inclusivity of LCQM’s communications, allowing the team to reach broader audiences and engage healthcare workers more effectively.
Through the Digital QI Journey campaign, Chisha’s team used AI for content curation, translation, and analytics to produce high-quality visuals and messages reaching thousands of healthcare workers and stakeholders online. The innovation cut content development time by nearly 60%, gave visibility to district-level health innovations that previously went unnoticed, and made the team over 75% more efficient.
“AI has not replaced human creativity in our work; it has enhanced it.”
“AI has not replaced human creativity in our work; it has enhanced it,” Chisha reflects. “It allows us to focus on insight, storytelling, and strategy, while automation takes care of repetitive tasks.”
Building trust around new technologies required intentional leadership. Many colleagues initially feared AI would replace their roles or diminish creativity. Chisha introduced internal learning sessions and one-on-one demonstrations showing simple, practical ways AI could support their work. His team now regularly explores and tests new AI tools, cultivating what Chisha calls “a culture of research, development, and adaptability.”
This approach reflects lessons from his time as a 2023-2024 fellow and Communications Officer at Amref Health Africa. The experience taught him that leadership isn’t about titles but about influence. It gave him confidence to bring innovation into traditionally conservative spaces like government health institutions.
“Leadership development unlocked the confidence and capacity to strategically merge technology and communication to advance both local and global health goals that reach thousands,” Chisha shares. “It has empowered me to turn ideas into scalable solutions, from integrating AI-driven communication systems that streamline public health information flow to leading cross-border advocacy campaigns that strengthen health systems in Southern Africa.”