Beyond the clinics: How Aproko Doctor is leveraging technology to enhance medical literacy

What more innovative way can a medical doctor reach millions of patients almost simultaneously if not through technology? Meet Dr Chinonso Egemba, popularly called Aproko Doctor, a multifaceted Nigerian medical doctor, health advocate, content creator, and actor who has become a leading voice in health education through digital advocacy. 

Fondly known as Aproko Doctor, Egemba has revolutionised healthcare advocacy by moving beyond the traditional clinic walls to build a massive digital community dedicated to wellness.

Born on October 26, 1990, in Owerri, Imo State, he has built a powerful platform that demystifies medical information for the everyday person. As a trained medical doctor, Egemba has strategically embraced Educational Technology (EdTech) and social media storytelling, amassing millions of followers across major social media platforms.

Chinonso Egemba’s goal is to simplify complex medical jargon into relatable, actionable health advice, fundamentally enhancing medical literacy and preventative care for millions of people.

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How the journey started for Chinonso Egemba

Dr Chinonso Egemba earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2015. He began his medical career the following year as a resident doctor at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital. 

In 2017, driven by a passion to impact more lives by addressing widespread health ignorance, he moved to Lagos, where he launched the Aproko Doctor brand. His unique approach, which blends medical knowledge with humour and storytelling, gained traction, turning his social media pages into a primary source of trusted health information. 

He later obtained an MBA in Business Administration from the University of the People in 2020, broadening his expertise at the intersection of healthcare and business. Currently, he is happily married to Chiamaka Nwakalor, professionally known as Chef Amaka since June 2020.

The impact of Aproko Doctor in Nigeria and beyond

Dr Chinonso Egemba, operating under the brand Aproko Doctor, primarily uses his massive social media reach as his personal advocacy tool. As of October 2025, his digital footprint commands a community of nearly 10 million active users across his social media platforms. 

This digital empire has 2.4 million followers on Twitter/X, over 461,000 YouTube subscribers, 2.2 million on TikTok, over 124,000 followers on LinkedIn and 2.1 million each on Instagram and Facebook. 

Using his platforms, Dr Egemba constantly debunks harmful medical myths and misinformation that circulate widely in the Nigerian community, especially regarding self-medication and unproven remedies. 

“People think I started this out of a passion for content. The truth is, I started out of anger; anger from seeing people in the hospital die from things that could have been prevented with simple information. When you see the videos now, you might see confidence. But what you didn’t see was that in my first one, I recorded close to 40 times, hating every take, and posting it anyway because the message mattered more than my fear,” Egemba said on his LinkedIn page.

The most deeply personal advocacy program began in December 2022 when Dr Egemba publicly shared his battle and subsequent surgery for a Craniopharyngioma (brain tumour). This candid revelation transformed his platform into a powerful voice for mental health, self-care, and the dangers of overworking. 

“Aproko Doctor was never about fame or being an influencer. It has always been, and will always be, an assignment: to fight ignorance with clarity, because I’ve seen its cost up close. I still have days filled with doubt. But that doubt is always silenced by messages that say, “Your video saved my life” or “I stopped eating this because of you”. Those messages are the fuel that keeps this engine running,” he said in one of his social media posts.

A consistent pillar of his personal health advocacy, particularly during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month each year, is the emphasis on proactive self-screening. His core drive is personal by producing accessible videos and infographics detailing the proper technique for Breast Self-Examination (BSE). 

In October 2025, this campaign gathered hundreds of Nigerian women through the free cervical and breast cancer screenings, HIV, Hepatitis B tests and many more.

Another prime example of a personal advocacy effort that transitioned to a physical event is the Aproko Nation Fiesta. Conceived as the “#HealthiestPartyEver,” this lifestyle and wellness event took place in Lagos, notably on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island.

The event was personally driven to shift the perception of health from a clinical burden to an enjoyable lifestyle. It incorporated engaging activities, fitness challenges, healthy food vendors, and on-site therapy sessions to address mental and physical well-being in a fun, community-focused setting.

In addition to this immense digital influence, he extends his impact through tangible projects. He serves as the Executive Director of the 100K Club, a non-profit organisation he founded in 2020 to provide critical health assistance to underprivileged Nigerians. 

Furthermore, he is the co-founder of AwaDoc, a health-tech platform that efficiently connects patients to healthcare professionals for virtual consultations. His work has earned him significant accolades, including being a three-time winner of the Trendupp Awards’ “Force of Wellness” category. 

Beyond advocacy, Dr Egemba has featured in films like the Netflix production “Strain” (2022), using the acting medium to raise awareness on issues like Sickle Cell Anaemia. His personal courage was demonstrated when he publicly shared his battle with a Craniopharyngioma (brain tumour) in December 2022.

What Aproko Doctor is doing through AwaDoc

“I’m the founder of Aproko Doctor Global, co-founder of AwaDoc, a Federal Health Champion, and lead a dynamic team. Yet, I still get the comment: But are you a real doctor? It’s 2025, and the stereotype that a doctor’s only real work happens within the four walls of a hospital is still shockingly common. It’s the same mindset that downplays the work of countless health professionals who are building, educating, and innovating outside the traditional system,” Dr Egemba said in one of his recent LinkedIn posts.

AwaDoc, co-founded by Dr Egemba and Jesse Benedict, is his innovative HealthTech startup. The company is an AI-powered healthcare assistant chatbot intentionally built on the widely used WhatsApp platform. 

By integrating with WhatsApp, AwaDoc bypasses the need for users to download new applications, eliminating a critical point of friction and leveraging a technology already familiar to millions of Africans. 

In the words of Aproko Doctor, “They say a doctor’s place is in the clinic. Yet, one video on preventive health has reached more people in a single day than I could have consulted in a year. Our chatbot (Noura) has answered urgent questions at 2:00 AM that would have otherwise led to fatal delays. Our community screenings have caught cancers that would have gone undetected.”

This AI tool on AwaDoc has been designed to serve as the first point of contact in a fragmented healthcare ecosystem. It provides immediate, 24/7 symptom checks, offers verified health information, and most importantly, performs triage by guiding users on the appropriate next steps, whether that is self-care, preparing for a doctor’s visit, or escalating a critical concern. 

Furthermore, through strategic partnerships, AwaDoc extends its utility to connecting users to services like lab bookings and medication ordering, thus building a seamless patient journey that begins on their phone.

“We don’t have a knowledge gap in healthcare; we have an access and communication gap. We can’t sit around waiting for the system to change. We need to take our life-saving knowledge to where the people are. Online, in their communities, and on their phones. That’s how we change the game,” Dr Egemba said.

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