P💊llSafe: Addressing Self-Medication Practices Among Young People in the Management of Communicable Diseases is a youth-led public health initiative designed to raise awareness and promote responsible medication use among secondary school and university students. The project focuses on reducing unsafe self-medication practices, particularly in the treatment of communicable diseases such as Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
The project combines physical school outreach programs with digital awareness strategies to reach a wide youth population. Active student groups across Federal University Oye-Ekiti and local communities were mobilized to circulate informative flyers digitally and push awareness messages through broadcast lists and social media platforms, ensuring the project reached youth both within and beyond Oye-Ekiti. In addition to our current activities, plans are in place to extend outreaches to other secondary schools within Oye-Ekiti, supported by volunteers from universities outside Oye-Ekiti who are helping to spread PillSafe’s message in their own campuses.
Two major secondary school outreaches were planned to deliver direct, student-centered education. Outreach at Concentric International Group of Schools, Temidire Street, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, has been successfully completed, with interactive sessions that addressed misconceptions around antibiotics and the importance of seeking medical guidance before treatment. The outreach at Saint Augustine’s Comprehensive High School (SACHSO), Ayede Junction, Oye–Ilupeju Road, Oye-Ekiti State, is currently ongoing. These in-person activities are complemented by the ongoing development of short educational video content and additional informative flyer designs for sustained engagement.
Despite challenges including limited funding, the need for consistent follow-up with school administrators, and the process of developing branding and communication materials from scratch, P💊llSafe has successfully impacted over 1,000 young people to date. The project was supported through collaboration with fellow MCN 2025 participant Ajadi Favour Mary, allowing both initiatives to implement their programs hand-in-hand while working on different projects.
The long-term goal of P💊llSafe is to establish partnerships with health organizations, local pharmacies, and community groups to expand youth education programs and develop long-lasting awareness tools that continuously remind young people of the importance of safe medication practices. Through sustained advocacy and education, the project aims to contribute to healthier decision-making and a reduction in self-medication-related health risks among Nigerian youths.