Web and mobile service for market and social research in Africa via SMS, USSD, IVR, and email channels PollAfrique has partnered with stakeholders including VOTO Mobile, iSpace Ghana, thoughtworks and medical experts have launched Ebola Ghana Alert – a mobile service that provides Ghanaian residents with accurate facts about Ebola outbreak.
According to Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), the initiative exemplifies the local Ghanaian technology community banding together to provide one line of defense against the disease.
MEST said, “To use the service, Ghanaian residents must dial *713*444# (currently available on MTN and Airtel), send, and choose from different menu options. In addition to learning Ebola facts, users can take a short Ebola symptoms survey. After a short series of yes/no interactive questions, the survey recommends whether the individual should seek medical attention.”
According to MEST, PollAfrique built on their expertise in developing mobile solutions for African market and social research to contribute to the Ebola Ghana Alert project.
“The PollAfrique-powered USSD application disseminates relevant information even to basic feature phones, making it possible for those in the furthest reaches of the country to receive the latest Ebola information and check their symptoms,” it said.
