• Pulse Ghana speaks exclusively to Dr George Anagli about his journey into public health advocacy.

• He reveals how a last-minute switch from Petroleum Engineering to Pharmacy shaped his career.

• Dr George explains how COVID-19 inspired his digital health advocacy and mission to fight misinformation.

In an exclusive interview with Pulse Ghana, the pharmacist and public health advocate opened up about the unexpected path that led him into pharmacy, the personal experiences that shaped his commitment to health education, and how a decision made during the COVID-19 pandemic eventually turned him into one of Ghana’s recognised voices in digital health.

His growing presence on social media may have earned him recognition as a trusted health voice, but becoming an influencer was never part of the plan. His motivation came from something much closer to home.

Beyond social media, Dr George sees himself first as a pharmacist and public health advocate.

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That conviction was shaped by both his professional experience and personal reality. During his training and professional practice, he noticed that many health problems were not caused by a lack of medicines alone, but by a lack of reliable information.

People delayed seeking care, misused medications or fell victim to misinformation because they did not know where to find trustworthy advice.

The issue was also personal for Dr George, who saw family members and close relatives, including well-educated people, struggle to make informed decisions about their health and medications.

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He continued:

That question became a defining moment in his journey.

That conviction eventually inspired the creation of RxWithDrGeorge and his decision to use digital platforms to make health information easier to understand and more accessible.

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Dr George did not grow up dreaming of becoming a pharmacist. His initial ambition was to pursue a completely different career.

Everything changed during his final year at Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC Legon), when he began researching the different programmes available at university.

Pharmacy caught his attention, particularly because of the combination of science and service.

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I realised that pharmacy offered something I was truly looking for: the opportunity to combine science with service and make a meaningful difference in people’s health every single day.

The decision came shortly before he submitted his university application.

That last-minute decision ultimately shaped the direction of his career.

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The idea of reaching people with health information had been developing long before the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown, however, gave Dr George the opportunity to act on it.

In 2020, he was a fourth-year Doctor of Pharmacy student when universities closed and students returned home. With more time available, he rebranded his social media platforms under the name Dr George and committed himself to creating simple, evidence-based health education content.

His approach was to treat every piece of content as an extension of the counselling he would provide to a patient.

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Dr George never set out to build a large following or become a recognised social media personality.

His audience grew through consistency, although several posts and campaigns helped introduce his work to a wider audience.

One of his early posts focused on asthma and encouraged people living with the condition to remember their inhaler when leaving home.

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Another memorable moment came during an RxWithDrGeorge X Space on sickle cell disease, when one of his guests, Dr Amanski, made a statement that sparked conversations about genotype awareness.

His advocacy for Pharmacist House Officers over unpaid salaries also brought new attention to his platform and demonstrated how healthcare professionals could use digital platforms to advocate for accountability and change.

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Despite these moments, Dr George does not attribute his growth to one particular post or campaign.

He believes people stayed because they found value in the information he consistently shared.

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His experience in the digital space also exposed Dr George to a wider gap in healthcare communication.

Ghana has many highly skilled healthcare professionals with valuable knowledge and expertise, but communicating that knowledge to the general public in simple and relatable language requires a different skill.

Many healthcare professionals want to educate the public but struggle to translate complex medical concepts into language that ordinary people can easily understand. Others are unsure how to build authentic personal brands, establish credibility or use digital platforms effectively.

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Dr George now coaches healthcare professionals and organisations on social media branding and digital health communication.

He believes this work is particularly important because misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly online.

His ambition, therefore, goes beyond helping healthcare professionals gain followers.

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Dr George’s public health work has also given him insight into some of the challenges facing healthcare delivery in rural Ghana.

He believes most healthcare professionals genuinely want to serve wherever they are posted, but the realities of working and living in some rural communities can make it difficult to accept or remain in such postings.

Inadequate infrastructure and equipment remain major concerns. Healthcare professionals need the right tools, diagnostic services and medicines to provide the standard of care for which they have been trained.

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Living conditions can also influence decisions about rural postings. In some communities, healthcare workers face inadequate accommodation, unreliable electricity and water supply, limited internet connectivity, poor road networks and fewer educational opportunities for their children and families.

Career development is another factor, with specialist training, research opportunities and mentorship often more accessible in urban centres.

For Dr George, the solution requires more than simply assigning healthcare professionals to rural areas.

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That means investing in modern healthcare infrastructure, improving staff accommodation, providing incentives and competitive remuneration, creating opportunities for continuous professional development, strengthening security where necessary, and ensuring healthcare workers have the resources they need to succeed.

He also believes healthcare professionals have a responsibility to serve communities where they are needed.

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If appointed Minister for Health, Dr George says his priorities would focus on disease prevention, the healthcare workforce and digital health.

His first priority would be to move Ghana’s healthcare system towards greater disease prevention through community screening programmes, stronger vaccination campaigns and health education.

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His second priority would be strengthening and protecting the healthcare workforce.

His third priority would be digital health, which he believes has the potential to improve access and efficiency across the healthcare system.

Ultimately, Dr George wants Ghana to build a healthcare system that does more than respond to illness.

His journey from a last-minute decision to study Pharmacy to becoming a public health advocate has been shaped by a desire to serve beyond the traditional healthcare setting.

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The audience may have grown, but the purpose has remained the same.

For Dr George, every post is still an opportunity to counsel a patient, only now that patient could be thousands of people scrolling through their phones.