THE WELLBEING FOUNDATION AFRICA TOGETHER WITH POCKETPATIENTMD LAUNCH A POWERFUL E-HEALTH CHECK TOOL TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA


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.”

According to Herbert Wigwe, member of the Funding Committee, Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Relief Fund, “we are fighting for our lives, and to win, it is critical we all come together as one. We welcome the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and PocketPatientMD initiative in contributing a platform to reach Nigerians of all ages with an easy self-check and referral to the appropriate public health authorities, nationwide.”

“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.

For partnerships and collaborations please contact Christopher Roberts, Manager IT & Digital Health Technologies chris.roberts@wbfafrica.org

###


ABOUT THE WELLBEING FOUNDATION AFRICA

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) was founded in 2004 by Her Excellency Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki, with the aim of improving health outcomes for women, infants and children. The Foundation combines programmes with advocacy work in Nigeria and around the world.
Through a multi-layered strategy of research, advocacy, policy development, community engagement, philanthropy and education, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa devises and implements programs which boldly deliver upon the stated objectives of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Three, Five, and Six: Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, and Clean Water and Sanitation, respectively. All Wellbeing programs address multiple intersections between these three goals, including, but not limited to further education for midwives and frontline community health workers, improved education around water, sanitation and health (WASH) for life-saving healthy habits, advancement of early childhood mental and physical health development, and, the fundamental necessity of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls for a fair and just society.
The WBFA supports the 8 pillars of WHO’s COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.

###

ABOUT POCKETPATIENTMD

PocketPatientMD is a free, interoperable, fully integrated medical platform currently in common African languages, available online and offline. PocketPatientMD allows physicians and patients access to medical information anywhere, anytime, safely, securely and at no cost. Stakeholders throughout the health system can easily connect to one another, leading to, cost- effective, higher quality care.
PocketPatientMD works on any device (computer, phone, tablet) and with any operating system and can link to any lab, pharmacy, diagnostic centre, or application and be customised as needed.