2017 Tutu Fellow 'Bosun Tijani is using his technology company - Co-Creation Hub - to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by offering support for tech and communication projects related to the virus. He is partnering with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on communication projects using indigenous languages to reach remote areas across Africa.
Co-Creation Hub is a technology innovation centre that catalyses solutions for pressing social problems in Africa through the application of social capital and technology.
The communication projects are expected to help counter disbelief and misinformation, assist citizens' actions and solidarity as well as combat stigmatization. The collaboration will focus on projects delivering vetted critical information from Africa CDC to Africans in remote areas using innovative and culturally sensitive messaging. This involves a mixed media, fact-based approach including comics, animation, illustrations, infographics, interactive SMS, mobile apps etc.
Africa CDC supports African Union Member States in providing coordinated and integrated solutions to the inadequacies in their public health infrastructure, human resource capacity, disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and preparedness and response to health emergencies and disasters. Bosun said that the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical time where tech in Africa should be used in smart ways to ensure broader citizen awareness and understanding of COVID-19 response strategies and precautions.
The Call for Projects is currently closed as the partnership goes through the applications that have already been submitted. You can read more about the collaboration on the Africa CDC website.
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