Digitally-empowered citizens can access accurate information and relieve pressure on public health authorities in this covid crisis What if the best tool to fight the coronavirus right now is not a vaccine—likely at least a year away—but a mobile phone?
Smart mobile phones, app developers, and governments around the world can help deliver timely and accurate public health information and aid rigorous contact tracing to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The government of India is clearly attuned to the public health implications of mobile access. The government recently launched MyGov Corona Helpdesk, a so-called “chatbot" feature on WhatsApp, a messaging app used by over 400 million Indian mobile users.