Encomium
Her Excellency Toyin Saraki, founder of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has just launched a powerful new e-health check tool in partnership with PocketPatientMD which will make free ‘COVID-19 Health Check’ available to all 200 million Nigerians.
The digital e-health tool – soon to be complemented by a mobile application and an offline version – will educate the public on how to stay healthy; provide users with information about whether or not they need to be tested for the Coronavirus; give public officials critical insights into vulnerable populations while providing early identification of potential COVID-19 hotspots around the country.
“This is a first-of-its-kind tool in the global fight against this pandemic. This health platform has the potential to be an effective early warning system, accelerating the response time of public health officials with limited resources, and giving every Nigerian accurate and immediate health advice”, commented Saraki who is also the Special Adviser to the World Health Organisation Africa Office Independent Advisory Group.
“Our efforts will complement the heroic efforts of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all those working to solve this unprecedented challenge.”
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), commending the efforts of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, noted how important it is “that Nigerians have the tools that enable them to take proactive steps to protect their health as we work hard to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.”
In the same vein, Dr. Sani Aliyu, the National Coordinator of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Response to COVID-19 has lauded the tool as “a welcome digital innovation to help Nigerians better understand their potential risks and symptoms and direct them to government resources for any required follow-up.”
The e-health check tool works by asking users a few questions in order ascertain whether or not they need to get tested for the Coronavirus. In keeping with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s directive on staying home to curb the spread of the pandemic, the tool refers users directly to both the NCDC and state government hotlines for medical advice on how to get tested. Mark Wien, co-founder and CEO of PocketPatientMD explained that the focus of the partnership is to reach “as many Nigerians as possible, and we are honoured to partner with Her Excellency Toyin Saraki who has a global reputation as an advocate for the vulnerable and a champion of better healthcare for all.”
“We can only beat Coronavirus if we work together”, added Saraki. “Misinformation has become widespread as we respond to this pandemic and this ground-breaking approach will only be as effective as the number of people who sign up and join us.” She implored Nigerians to “take the test every 7 days, or when their symptoms change, and to ensure that they are paying close attention to, and reporting any changes in their health status not only to stay safe but also to help keep our frontline health workers safe and our public officials aware.”
The e-health check tool is available for free at https://covid19.wbfafrica.org/ and users can access real-time updates on how to stay connected, safe, and healthy during the pandemic on Instagram and Twitter @Wellbeing_PPMD, and @WellbeingPPMD on Facebook.
