Safaricom creates travellers' alert service for disease outbreaks

Safaricom has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Korea Telecom to launch a new service that will alert subscribers on disease outbreaks whenever they travel abroad. The service is free for all Safaricom users and information is available in both English or Swahili. The service is already operational and sends alerts to one’s phone through text messages or SMS. Subscribers will be automatically alerted by SMS through the firm’s roaming service once they cross the borders of a country with an ongoing infectious disease outbreak.

To develop and roll out the service, the telco giant worked with the ministry of health and Korea Telcom. On his part, Dr Aman said the country is at risk of disease outbreaks due to its position and status as a regional trade hub. “Globalisation has increased international trade and travel and has brought new worries of epidemics of massive epidemics,” said Dr Aman. Dr Aman termed the service a significant milestone in disease surveillance and invited Safaricom to work with the government on more health sector projects.

“The service will help the ministry to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks in addition to informing Kenyans travelling abroad on what to do in case of symptoms,” said Dr Aman. He added that the private sector had an important role to play in the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage pillar in the Big Four Agenda. Dr Aman said the Korean government and Safaricom sponsor the project, but added that the ministry would eventually take over after its two-and-a-half-year pilot phase elapsed. It is aimed at helping the health ministry prevent the entry and transmission of infectious diseases.