One thing I learned while working on a public health campaign connected to the New Life Medical Clinic in Bauchi, Nigeria is that prevention doesn’t always involve medicine. Sometimes it involves having the right information. Our project focused on preventable disease, sanitation, hygiene, and healthcare access. Before that experience, I’m not sure I understood how much health education really mattered.

It’s easy to assume everyone has access to the same basic health information. But people learn about health from parents, schools, doctors, social media, friends, and their communities. Unfortunately not everyone gets the same information, and not all information is accurate.

Knowing something as basic as when and how to wash your hands can prevent disease. Knowing the warning signs of a medical problem can make someone seek care earlier. Understanding why vaccines matter can influence whether somebody gets vaccinated.

That’s what I like about health education. One doctor can treat one patient at a time. But good information can reach so many all at once.

Of course, education doesn’t solve everything. For example, teaching someone about healthy food doesn’t magically give them access to it. Or teaching someone to see a doctor doesn’t help if they don’t have insurance.

But information is still part of prevention, and sometimes the first step toward improving someone’s health isn’t giving them medicine.