Pierre Fabre Foundation headquarters, Lavaur, 9 October 2025.
This was no ordinary conference. It was a historic gathering…
I was invited as a keynote speaker at the 9th International Conference of the Observatory of e-Health in the Countries of the South (ODESS), organised by the Pierre Fabre Foundation in Lavaur, south of France. I came to talk about a struggle that has shaped me for nearly a decade: access to quality health information for young people, women and vulnerable individuals. But, deep down, I also came to talk about an Africa that knows. That cares. That rises up.
My name is Hemes. And my mission is clear.
I am an epidemiologist, trained in international relations, and deeply committed to fact-checking in health. For almost ten years, I have been working to make health information clear, reliable and accessible to those who need it most: women, young people and vulnerable individuals.
Together with hundreds of young experts, we have built a committed ecosystem:
- YOHEDA (Youth for Health and Development of Africa), a pan-African NGO dedicated to innovation in public health.
- HealthCheck, a digital health media platform for Generation Z.
- YohedaHealthSolutions, a blog for reflection and fact-checking on health issues.
In a decade:
- More than 3 million people have been made aware of health issues through digital technology and community actions for access to essential healthcare and medicines.
- Nearly 600 articles, columns and fact-checking content produced and distributed across the continent;
- More than 20 community projects supported in several African countries;
- And a shared conviction: information is healthcare.
Accurate information can save a life.
False information can destroy a hundred.
The day I spoke up… and found my path
In Lavaur, the room was full: more than a hundred decision-makers, philanthropists, journalists,
professionals, experts, politicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals
from all over the world. Each and every one of them was inspiring and influential.
I listened, I learned.
I spoke, I told my story.
I spoke, I told my story.
These isolated but heroic caregivers.
These mothers deceived by a WhatsApp message about fake remedies.
These young people lost between fear, faith and fatalism, lacking reliable guidance.
When I spoke, the room listened. In silence. In harmony.
Their eyes said: ‘We know. We feel.’
At that moment, I understood that Africa’s voice does not need an echo — it needs
space.
What that moment taught me
That day, I grasped the power of words rooted in reality.
Not because it is strong, but because it carries others.
It connects caregivers to decision-makers,
the field to politicians,
the Africa we experience to the Africa we imagine.
And I understood that the world is ready to listen, provided that we speak with
rigour, courage and tenderness about the most beautiful things we have to offer.
What I am building now
This experience has given me a new clarity.
My mission is no longer just to correct misinformation, but to make the truth accessible, human and sustainable.
So we are launching a new chapter:
1. Scientifically documenting the impact of misinformation on access to healthcare and medications in Central and West Africa.
2. Strengthen HealthCheck to reach 10 million young Africans by 2027, through digital tools adapted to their languages, cultures and realities.
3. Train 10,000 health professionals and journalists in responsible communication and scientific verification.
4. Strengthen the International Health Information Network, following the conference on scientific misinformation in Central Africa, to detect and
5. Counter false news before it kills.
Gratitude, transmission and commitment
I leave ODESS with deep gratitude.
For the Pierre Fabre Foundation, guardian of a humanistic and scientific heritage.
For Lavaur, a land of light where health and human dignity come together.
For every smile, every glance, every outstretched hand that reminded me that this
is a collective struggle.
But above all, I leave with a promise:
The truth, when spoken with dignity, becomes a revolution.
And mine has just begun.
At ODESS, I spoke out.
And I promised never to be silent again.
Hemes NKWA
Link to follow the entire ODESS conference on digital health in times of crisis:
context-9th-october-2025
