Over 600 mln Mobile Subscribers in Africa to Benefit from Digital Health Platform

Addis Ababa June 24/2020(ENA) Africa Communication and Information Platform for Health and Economic Action (ACIP), which aims at reaching more than 600 million people in Africa launched on Tuesday. 

According to UNCEA press release sent to ENA, the platform is the first in its kind digital health platform will benefit over 600 million mobile subscribers in Africa.

The ACIP, which is a mobile-based tool for two-way information and communication between citizens and governments, was launched virtually by the UNECA along with Africa CDC and other partners.

Launching the platform, Executive Secretary of UNECA, Vera Songwe said “with this platform, we have the possibility of reaching between 600 million and 800 million mobile subscribers in Africa.”

She lauded ITU, Smart Africa, the African Union, the World Bank, WHO, MTN, Orange, Safaricom, Vodacom, Airtel, and all stakeholders for contributing to the project.

ACIP furnishes national and regional COVID-19 task forces with user-generated survey data and actionable health and economic insights.

The platform would further enable authorities to better analyze pandemic-related problems and implement appropriate responses. 

Director of Africa CDC, Dr. John Nkengasong said the platform offers “unique opportunity to change the way we conduct disease surveillance, enhance our ability to acquire good and timely data, and make all Africans count.”

Thirty-six African member states are already part of the initiative, it was indicated.