Pakistan launches bilingual chatbot to address coronavirus concerns

The coronavirus chatbot is accessible via Facebook Messenger

The government of Pakistan has  launched a chatbot to address common concerns related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Head of Digital Pakistan, Tania Aidrus revealed on Twitter.

“Our team wanted to build an effective way to get information out to Pakis­tanis. We've launched a chatbot to address common concerns on #Coronavirus. You can find labs near you and even do a quick test to assess your risk of #Coronavirus. Please try it out!" Aidrus wrote.

The bilingual chatbot aims to provide Pakistanis with necessary information related to the COVID-19.

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— Tania Aidrus (@taidrus) March 16, 2020

The Digital Pakistan team collaborated with Botsify to create the chatbot which connects users with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Islamabad.

The chatbot will be used as a platform to address common queries about the novel coronavirus and quell misinformation widespread on social media.

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You can access the chatbot through Facebook Messenger here.

Users can pick the language of their choice, Urdu or English and subscribe to the COVID-19 updates. The chatbot will provide information related to coronavirus symptoms, precautions, risks as well as testing.

Aidrus and her team have been working to bring a digital solution for people who do not have access to authentic information.

 

We’re using data analytics techniques and cutting edge technology to get ahead of the #Coronavirus. We’re trying to modernize and streamline data collection from the frontlines. We have some of the best @CodeforPakistan engineers available in Pakistan volunteering their support pic.twitter.com/8JaxAgpnTL

— Tania Aidrus (@taidrus) March 15, 2020