To curb COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa is holding virtual hackathons and offering up to $20,000 in seed-funds to finalists with digital solutions.
In a statement to TechCrunch, WHO’s Technical Officer, Moredeck Chibi said the regional office of the UN agency completed its first challenge earlier this month and will host a second for French speaking Africa in coming weeks.
According to Dr. Chibi, the WHO-AFRO Digital Hackathon series aims to prompt tech applications — with specificity to Africa — to stem the spread and negative impact of COVID-19 — which began to rise in Africa in March.
For the first virtual challenge, WHO selected participants via an online application process and split them into teams via Zoom. Groups were tasked with developing scalable concepts aligned with WHO’s current COVID-19 response strategy, which includes infection prevention and control, case management, surveillance and continuity of health services.
The winning hackathon group, led by Ghanaian Entrepreneur Laud Basing, developed a screening tool concept — operable via mobile app or USSD code — that maps COVID-19 test cases, classifies them according to risk and provides data to national authorities to plan responses. The team, that included Senegalese political adviser Fatou Sagna Sow, will receive $10,000 from the WHO to pilot their concept and support in attaining additional funding and expertise.
Application:
Those interested in pitching a solution to the World Health Organization’s next hackathon in response to COVID-19 can contact WHO’s Africa office.