The paper examines film and its indispensable role in raising public health awareness and in tackling public health issues in Nigeria. It looked at the public health challenges and/or problems that Nigeria is saddled with, ranging from communicable diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Lassa fever, and tuberculosis (TB), and non-communicable diseases and lifestyle-related conditions. Not excluding socioeconomic factors, misinformation, cultural practices, and limited access to accurate health information that exacerbate these problems and make them even worse. All of these things negatively affect national development and the health of the population. Drawing on findings from previous studies and researchers, this study shows the importance of public health communication and its effectiveness in shaping health awareness, behaviour, and policy. The study further contends that film (described as an important and effective public health communication tool), especially in the context of the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, provides a potent medium and/or platform for the dissemination of health information owing to its extensive reach, cultural significance, and capacity to combine narrative with visual and emotional engagement. The paper shows that films can be a good way to teach people about health, raise awareness, reduce stigma, and change behaviour. Films can make complicated health ideas easier to understand, correct false beliefs, and promote good health behaviours in a wide range of people, even those with low literacy levels, through narrative-based interventions and “info-edutainment”. The study also points out problems, such as the risk of spreading false information, high production costs, and the need to be sensitive to different cultures when delivering messages. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential films possess to improve public health communication in Nigeria. However, this won’t be effective unless filmmakers, health professionals, and policymakers work collaboratively and strategically. It suggests investing more funds into health campaigns that employ films and making sure that films include accurate, research-based information to improve public health and encourage long-lasting changes in behaviour.
Keywords: Public health; health communication; films; communicable diseases; Nollywood
