Coronavirus

MTN, Airtel, others partner UN to build COVID-19 information platform in Africa

The platform will deliver COVID-19 information to about 600 million people in the continent.

Published

9 months ago

June 24, 2020

Smartphones that track virus spread: This could really make a difference, MTN and Airtel Partner with United Nations to build Coronavirus Information Platform in Africa

MTN, Airtel, Orange SA, and Vodacom have signed a partnership deal with the United Nations to build a mobile platform that delivers COVID-19 information to about 600 Million people in Africa.

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary, UN Commission for Africa, Vera Songwe, on Wednesday.

The platform, according to Songwe, will be free to use for nearly half of Africa’s population and if well implemented will be rolled out to Latin America.

She explained that the platform will be available in about 23 African Countries, and will be called the “Africa Communications International Platform.”

The platform went live on Tuesday in some countries posting tips about COVID-19 hotzones, daily updates from government and healthcare groups and symptom checker features.

UN’s Tunde Fafunwa said, “In Africa, the economic impact is now almost greater than the health impact, although we know that infections are still on the rise.

“Personally identifiable information such as mobile numbers will not be passed on from the operators to the Government” he added, talking about possible breach of privacy concerns related with the platform.

“However, we will still be able to identify hotzones through information gathered from features such as the symptom checker.”

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MTN’s CEO, Rob Shutter said: “We were mindful of the realities faced in African Markets where smartphone penetration and internet penetration are low.

“The platform offers services using a combination of text and voice interactions.”

William Ukpe

1 Comment

Malo
June 26, 2020 at 3:33 pm
How can some one apply
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Coronavirus

Update: Health Minister states side effects of COVID-19 vaccines

Dr. Osagie Ehanire has disclosed the side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Published

6 hours ago

March 6, 2021

Abiola Odutola

Nigeria to vaccinate 20 million people against Covid-19. Chinese Engineering firm donates medical supplies to Nigeria

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has stated the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, which he said is mild.

The minister disclosed this during the live broadcast when President Muhammadu Buhari took his vaccine shot on Saturday.

According to the Minister, the reactions are usually mild and only few people had complained of mild pain in the part of the body they got the shot.

READ: COVID-19: Moderna set to launch a new vaccine for virus strain found in South Africa

He said, “It is not everybody that complained of reactions/side effects but few had complained of mild pain at the part of the body they got the shot.

”Usually manufacturing vaccines take not less than 4 years but this only took about 1 year, which is the reason some people are apprehensive about the vaccines. This was manufactured in the United Kingdom and has been certified.”

READ: How to register for Covid-19 vaccination in Nigeria

Ehanire, explained that the jab is painless as a narrow gauge syringe was used with a small quantity injected in the upper arm.

He added that the after-effects are mild but accompanied by little discomfort in the area that was injected.

Present at the brief ceremony were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Mustapha; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari and other members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, senior government officials and journalists.

Coronavirus

Update: President Buhari, VP Osinbajo get COVID-19 vaccine shots

President Buhari and VP Osinbajo have been vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday at the State House, Abuja.

Published

7 hours ago

March 6, 2021

Abiola Odutola

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have been vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday at the State House, Abuja.

President Buhari and VP, who received his COVID-19 vaccine shot on Live TV broadcast, urged Nigerians to emulate him and do the same to curb the pandemic in the most populous black nation.

Both were administered their jabs, on Saturday morning, at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja at a ceremony broadcast live on national television.

Their inoculation followed their e-registration and filling out of their vaccination cards by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib.

Vaccination of Buhari was done by Chief Personal Physician to the President, Dr Suhayb Rafindadi.

Osinbajo was also vaccinated by his personal physician, Dr Nicholas Audifferen.

Nairametrics

MTN, Airtel, others partner UN to build COVID-19 information platform in Africa

Coronavirus

MTN, Airtel, others partner UN to build COVID-19 information platform in Africa

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Coronavirus

Update: Health Minister states side effects of COVID-19 vaccines

Coronavirus

Update: President Buhari, VP Osinbajo get COVID-19 vaccine shots

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