Dr Isaac Olufadewa

At the CDC in Atlanta, USA 🇺🇸 No doubt, my story is unlikely I grew up in a rural community called Wakajaye in Nigeria. During that period, herbalists (native doctors) were more famous than the distant/non-existent medical doctors in my community. Witnessing young people especially teenagers have unwanted pregnancies, use harmful substances, get infected with HIV, kill themselves, engage in vices made an impression on me...it is hard to not define yourself by your environment. In that same environment I dreamt of becoming a medical doctor, advancing health equity, designing solutions and traveling the world to share my work. I sometimes doubted it, but God was faithful! Sadly, I realised that "poor people tend to make poor choices" and it is our job as health advocates to design solutions to pull them out of this vicious cycle. Fast forward several years... With the guidance from parents, mentors, teachers and colleagues, I graduated as a medical doctor (the first in my generation), founded and lead an exceptional team of young professionals at @SRHINAfrica advancing community and innovative health and I thoroughly enjoy the health equity work that I do. I completed my University of Michigan Ann Arbor Summer Program last week and yesterday I completed and shared my work at the MInD/HIRe meeting at the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA. It is my second time in 2 years at the CDC HQ in Atlanta and I am inspired to do more through advocacy, research and technology. Thanks to mentors! My story is unlikely, yet it is possible. Your story is possible. #HealthEquity #SRHIN #Research #CommunityHealth #HAIs

When I recently received the news that I had been selected as one of three SNF Global Center Research Fellows, my thoughts went far beyond the fellowship itself. I thought about growing up in a rural community in Ibadan, Nigeria. I thought about home. I thought about the communities where I served as a doctor, and the people whose experiences taught me that healthcare is not just about what happens inside a hospital. I thought about my over a hundred engagements with children and adolescents in migrant or internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Northern Nigeria. I thought about the thousands of physical outreaches we have conducted through the Slum and Rural Health Initiative (SRHIN), and the people who have given their time, energy, and hearts to this work. I thought about the young migrants whose mental health needs deserve the same attention, compassion, and scientific investment as those of any other child Some stories (both positive & negative) brought tears to my eyes... I shed a joyful tear! Those experiences helped shape Brave Heart, our community-based mental health initiative. And it is now shaping the next phase... Now, through the SNF Global Center Research Fellowship, we have an opportunity to take the next step with Brave Heart AI Buddies, exploring how culturally responsive AI can complement human-led mental health support for adolescent migrants. I am humbled to be named one of the 2026 Research Fellows! But I know that meaningful change is never the achievement of one person. It is built by communities that trust you, colleagues who challenge you, volunteers who keep showing up, and partners who are willing to believe in a vision before its full potential becomes visible. To people like Toluwase Olufadewa (my wife), Miracle Adesina, Ruth Oladele - who have worked with me for nearly a decade, and colleagues who work with us at SLUM AND RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE NETWORK (SRHIN) @SRHINAfrica and other institutions who trust my leadership. And to our Director of Communications and Media at SRHIN - Peace Oregbesan, who also won the SNF Global Center Communication Fellowship. Thank you to Prof Geoffrey M. Reed for his continuous mentorship (the Director of the Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health) and Drs Ohemaa Poku, PhD, LMSW, MPH, Aemal Akhtar. Thanks to all my teachers - past and present. Thanks to Peter Raucci (for his support) and the wonderful people at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center, & dedicated people passionate about child and adolescent mental health at the Child Mind Institute. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey and Almighty God - "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes..."(1 Sam2v8) I may be the person named in the announcement, but this work has always been bigger than me. I hope to keep transforming the child and adolescent health space! Let's keep building! #GlobalHealth #Research #MentalHealth #SRHIN

What an exciting time to share about our Brave Heart mental health programme in Ghana alongside @SRHINAfrica Country Coordinator, Miracle Adesina at the "Mental Health by Africa for Africa" Convening by Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health It was a pleasure meeting and having insightful conversations with my mentor, Prof Geoffrey Reed, my academic grandfather in the field of mental health, Prof Oye Gureje, esteemed mental health professionals such as Drs Ohemaa Poku, PhD, LMSW, MPH, Lucky Onofa, Xanthe Hunt, Kebope Mongie Kealeboga, Chido Rwafa- Madzvamutse, Milli Wijenaike-Bogle, MPH, Asafo Seth Mawusi, and many others. I also met with mental health professionals and policymakers in Ghana such as Maama Aba Dadzie, Deputy Chief Executive, Mental Health Authority, Republic of Ghana, Evans Danso Director, Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mental Health Authority, Ghana and Beatrice Williams, among others. We are transforming the mental health space in Africa! And I am happy to belong to an active team of passionate mental health leaders. Thanks to our funding partners such as @gchallenges (Grand Challenges Canada), Being Initiative, who believed in the SRHIN team and myself to work on our Brave Heart youth mental health programme across schools, communities and migrant camps in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. #MentalHealth #AfricaMentalHealth #BraveHeart #ColumbiaWHOGlobalMentalHealthCenter #SRHIN

Check out our paper here. Thanks @TheLancet for the feature.

New Publication Alert in one of the Lancet journals... I’m excited to share our new article published in The Lancet Regional Health – Africa, titled “Artificial intelligence anchored in African intelligence: toward equitable mental health systems in Africa.” In this paper, we make a strong case that AI can meaningfully strengthen mental healthcare in Africa only when it is locally grounded, ethically governed, and shaped by lived cultural realities. One key message is that digital innovation should not simply be imported into African health systems, but co-created with communities to ensure trust, relevance, and equity. We also share insight from People with Lived Experience (PLWE) of mental illness who co-led this important work. Working with PLWEs has been very important to our work at SRHIN, with many of them leading program activities, publications, research dissemination, advocacy efforts, digital technology development, and many other leadership roles. We highlight how responsible AI can help close long-standing gaps in access, workforce shortages, and data inequities, while protecting human dignity and local knowledge. The goal is not just smarter technology, but fairer and more inclusive mental health systems. This work reflects the mission of the Slum and RuralHealthInitiative @SRHINAfrica, where we continue to lead at the intersection of mental health, community innovation, and AI. From underserved urban settlements to rural and displaced populations, our focus remains on building practical, ethical solutions that translate research into real impact. Our future goal is to democratize the current technological innovation (GenAI) use in mental health for millions of people living in Nigeria, West Africa, and Africa by leading with excellence, through empathy, and by example. Grateful to my co-authors, collaborators, researchers, funders, and partners who made our GENSCORE pilot project possible. Neuromatch, Wellcome Trust, MEXA, Google DeepMind, University of Ibadan, Imperial College London, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, and other institutions. 👉 Read the full article and join the conversation on shaping equitable AI for mental health in Africa: sciencedirect.com/science/ar… #GlobalHealth #MentalHealth #AIforGood #HealthEquity

Today, I am grateful for the gift of another year, one filled with growth, purpose, and people who continue to make this journey worthwhile. 🙏🏾 As I celebrate my birthday, I find myself reflecting deeply on how far we have come in advancing health equity, youth leadership, and digital innovation. From the early days of the Slum and Rural Health Initiative to our evolving vision with BraveHeart AI and other innovative projects that aim to reimagine health access and impact in Africa, it has been a remarkable journey. 🌍💡 This new year, my focus is simple: 💭 To serve better. 🤝🏾 To collaborate deeper. 🚀 To dream bigger, not just for myself but for the millions of young people whose brilliance and resilience give me hope every day. To everyone who has been part of this journey—mentors, friends, colleagues, partners, and young changemakers—thank you for believing, building, and growing with me. Here’s to more impact, compassion, and courage in the years ahead. ✨ #BirthdayReflection #Gratitude #Leadership #HealthEquity #Innovation

#UNGA moments in New York! Great sharing about my youth-led Mental health projects with the world! Thanks to my ever hardworking @SRHINAfrica team and all our funders!

I am in New York to present as a Panelist at one of the United Nations General Assembly Side Events #UNGA80 on mental health today. When we started over half a decade playing football and delivering Mental health sessions for young people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Northern Nigeria, we probably did not know that our work will not only be in a compendium of impactful global mental health program by the MHPSS Collaborative, Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health, CPC Learning Network and the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health... ..Our voice will be heard on a global stage at the UNGA Side Event! That is deeply humbling, and I really appreciate the wonderful team that worked together with me on this project and funders like Grand Challenges Canada and Being Initiative that provided the opportunity to work with more young people. I will be sharing how we implement our impactful community-based Brave Heart Mental Health Project at @SRHINAfrica ...why youth-led initiatives and innovations matter, and also learn from other panelists and presenters. If you want to catch up with me in New York, please DM. To all young leaders out there, my message to you is: Keep doing the great work you are passionate about. You work changes people's world. And your work matters! #MentalHealth #SRHIN #UNGA #GlobalHealth

It's my first time in South Africa 🇿🇦 Currently in Johannesburg, and I am enjoying the warmth of the people and beautiful weather! Didn't know until now that; - the O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is the busiest in Africa - The steering wheel is on the right (Right side driving) in South Africa - The city sits on a high altitude (over 5,700 ft above sea levels) which is one of the highest in the world for a major city I am here for a research conference representing @SRHINAfrica I will be sharing with fellow researchers about our innovative work and also learn from others. If you're around Johannesburg and you want to meet up on Saturday, 13th Sept (morning or afternoon), kindly DM/privately send a message. If there are other facts or places you suggest I visit in South Africa, you can let me know. #SouthAfrica #Research

It's my first time in South Africa 🇿🇦 Currently in Johannesburg, and I am enjoying the warmth of the people and beautiful weather! Didn't know until now that; - the O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is the busiest in Africa - The steering wheel is on the right (Right side driving) in South Africa - The city sits on a high altitude (over 5,700 ft above sea levels) which is one of the highest in the world for a major city I am here for a research conference representing @SRHINAfrica I will be sharing with fellow researchers about our innovative work and also learn from others. If you're around Johannesburg and you want to meet up on Saturday, 13th Sept (morning or afternoon), kindly DM/privately send a message. If there are other facts or places you suggest I visit in South Africa, you can let me know. #SouthAfrica #Research

Today marks exactly 10 years since I received my medical degree from Nigeria's Premier University (University of Ibadan), and stepped into a journey I could never have fully imagined. The transformation is real and reflecting on it has been surreal. Let me count some of my blessings: - From Zero publication to over 100 publications - From 1 undergraduate scholarship award to over 30 scholarships, fellowships and awards - from few mentees to now mentoring Rhodes Scholar, Mastercard Scholars and over 50 other scholars - from "friend" adviser to WHO Technical Working Group member and Lancet Commission Task Force Expert - from an MBBS degree to a PhD degree (and learning about AI, ML models, etc) - From rejuvenating The Literary and Debating Society (TLDS), UI to founding/co-founding several health platforms such as Slum and Rural Health Initiative (SRHIN), SRHIN Research Academy, HEAL Society and many more - From traveling to only one country to now over 14 countries in 4 continents and counting! A decade ago, fresh out of medical school, I carried a heart full of ambition, a mind full of questions, and a deep desire to HEAL and make a difference. That desire has taken me from crowded hospital wards to rural villages, from patient bedsides to policy tables, from Nigeria to the global stage. I have witnessed life in its most fragile moments, held the hands of those in pain, celebrated recoveries that felt like miracles, and mourned losses that still leave a mark. I have worked in migrant camps, promoted mental health in underserved communities, worked on pandemic/epidemic response and communicated with diverse audiences. I’ve also seen how health is shaped far beyond the walls of hospitals by education, equity, technology, leadership, and the collective will of communities. These 10 years have been more than a career; they’ve been a calling. I’ve learned that being a doctor and implementation scientist is not just about diagnosing illness, it’s about listening deeply, advocating fiercely, and serving humbly. I’m grateful: -:To my mentors who guided me, -To my colleagues who challenged and inspired me, - To funders and supporters who made these dreams possible -To community members and patients who trusted me with their lives, -And to my family, friends and God who gave me strength when the weight felt heavy. As I step into the next decade, my commitment remains clear: to use my skills, voice, and platforms to advance health equity, leverage AI and digital technology, inspire the next generation, and help build a world where everyone, no matter where they are born has the chance to live a healthy, dignified life. Let's keep rising together! #10YearsADoctor #HealthEquity #Gratitude #LIVBOU #GlobalHealth

On #youthday, it is important to highlight the fact that youth mental health matters not only today, but every day!