The WellMe Pilot Project aimed at enhancing the well-being and resilience of frontline health workers in Katsina State, Nigeria, through the WellMe app. Objectives included the effective implementation of the app, support for resilience and stress management, fostering a community of practice among health workers, and facilitating ongoing support and learning.
Activities included orientation and on-boarding of staff, stakeholder engagement, training of frontline health workers (FLW), and field visits for supervision. Strategies to tackle challenges included financial incentives for participation, use of WhatsApp for ongoing support, and addressing technical issues encountered by participants. The project also emphasized the importance of addressing language barriers and technical limitations of participants’ devices.
The project saw a high rate of enrolment and satisfaction among participants, with a significant number engaging in resilience and well-being surveys showing improvements in these areas. Key achievements included successful app installation, high engagement rates, positive feedback, and collaborative efforts with government officials and UNICEF representatives. Challenges involved technical issues with the app, limited internet connectivity, and language barriers affecting the user experience.
The WellMe project highlighted the necessity for adaptive and user-friendly digital solutions, emphasizing the importance of language localization, tailored digital solutions, and the provision of hardware support. It underscored the value of engaging with the actual users of the app through field visits and direct feedback to enhance program effectiveness.
Recommendations for future iterations of the program include more field visits, offering incentives for program completion, and localizing the app’s content to better meet the linguistic needs of the region. The project demonstrated the potential of digital tools like the WellMe app in supporting the mental health and resilience of frontline health workers, with lessons that can be applied to similar initiatives globally.
