We are a research and innovation team from Dawa Health, a registered research institution with the National Health Research Authority (NHRA-Zambia), working on a project called DawaMom. DawaMom is an artificial intelligence (AI) initiative focused on improving the quality of clinical triage, patient support, and follow-up care for patients in Zambia, with a strong emphasis on maternal and reproductive primary healthcare.

The goal of this research is to develop AI systems that better understand and respond to local languages and lived patient realities in Zambia, thereby improving access to timely, culturally appropriate, and high-quality healthcare support.

Purpose of the Study

As part of this project, we are creating conversational Nyanja and Bemba datasets consisting of audio recordings and transcribed clinical interactions. These datasets will be used to train AI models to understand and process local language speech and text conversations, enabling more effective digital health tools for Zambian patients.

What Participation Involves

Participants will work in pairs to simulate realistic health worker–patient interactions:

• One participant will play the role of a health worker (doctor, midwife, nurse, or clinician)

• The other will play the role of a patient

• Each pair will be given clinical scenarios 

• The simulated health worker will take a complete and thorough medical history in Nyanja or Bemba

• The simulated patient will respond in the same local language

• Audio recordings must be captured using a quality input device (smartphone or recorder) and securely shared with the research team

Eligibility

Participants must:

• Be 18 years or older

• Be a health sector student or professional

• Have an understanding of real-world patient experiences, barriers, and healthcare contexts in Zambia

• Be fluent in Nyanja and/or Bemba

Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.

Compensation

As a token of appreciation, contributors will be compensated at a rate of USD $5 per hour of high-quality simulated audio submitted and approved by the research team.

Research Team

The DawaMom research team includes:

• Dr. Tafadzwa K. Munzwa
• Khanyisile Magagula
• Kudzai Mwedzi
• Natasha Chilembo
• Tariro Munzwa

If you have any questions about the project or your participation, please contact the DawaMom research team at hello@dawa-health.com before providing submission of interest below.