The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa joined forces with a group of telecoms operating in Africa to reach over 600 million mobile subscribers with coronavirus health advice. The Africa Communications Intelligence Platform will be deployed on mobile phones via text and voice messaging in at least 23 African countries in its first phase, UNECA said. It will offer coronavirus-related health tips, feature a symptom checker and allow users to take short health and economic surveys related to the pandemic, Tunde Fafunwa of the UN economic agency in Africa told CNN. Fafunwa said the platform would analyze anonymous user-generated responses and information from social media platforms using artificial intelligence to identify trends around the outbreak. UNECA said insights gained from the curated data will be used to support national Covid-19 task forces and relevant ministries to help countries evaluate their response to the pandemic. MTN CEO Rob Shuter said the service leverages existing simple narrowband technology that is beneficial for subscribers that don’t have smart phones. Shuter said aside from its benefit to governments’ initiatives, operators can use the service to share timely information on the pandemic.
SOURCE: CNN
More Stories
Inside the AAI Gala
Malian Basketballers Apologize for Brawl
Experts at the WTO Public Forum Talk Greening SMEs to Harness the Benefits of the AfCFTA
Dealing with Child Marriages on the Continent
Tighter Controls at Uganda’s Borders
The First Statue of an African Displayed in Trafalgar Square
Ramaphosa’s Opponents Want Him Impeached over a Growing Scandal
‘An Organized Attack on Freedoms by the Remnants of the Old Regime’ – Sudanese Lawyer
A Proposed Ban on the Deployment of Kenyan Domestic Workers to Saudi Arabia
Trial of Guinea’s Former President and Others Accused of the 2009 Stadium Massacre Begins
Essential Medical Supplies at Critically Low Levels in Ethiopia’s Conflict Zone
DRC Apes Kidnapped for Ransom