This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
On August 6, 2020, the African Union launched a digital platform to curb the import of Covid-19 in Africa. The platform, called PanaBIOS, performs bio-screening and tracing of contacts across borders.
As African airlines resume international flights, the platform aims to minimize the possibility of an upsurge in Covid-19 infections. The application can be downloaded from Google PlayStore and is already being piloted in Ghana.
Presidential advisor on health in Ghana, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, said their government began piloting the use of the application in June. The platform was launched on July 29 by a consortium under the AU's Open Corridors Program.
"The government took a decision for strategic targeted testing. We started with schools and churches. We have to reopen and to do that we need a system where we can get real-time data at the borders and inside airports," Dr. Nsiah-Asare said.
"I am sure every country will like it because nobody wants importation of the disease. All cases in Africa were imported and if we are not careful, this easing of businesses could lead to more importation of the virus into Africa," he added.
The technology has the capacity to monitor and model the congestion, thereby mapping how the virus is spreading. It alerts people who have been exposed to an infected person and advises them to get tested.
Kenya, an active member of the AU, stands to benefit from the solution, which is the first reference model of the AU's Digital Bio-surveillance, Bio-screening and Bio-sensing Protocol (DABBIT). However, according to Prof. Patrick Lumumba, Kenya needs to understand it first before implementing it.
