The World Health Organization and Facebook have partnered up on the launch of a new chatbot on Messenger which is meant to provide users with factual and timely information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Social Media Today.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an interactive experience on Messenger, with support from Sprinklr, to help provide accurate and timely information on the COVID-19 pandemic,” Facebook’s Messenger explains. “WHO will be leveraging Messenger’s reach to more than 1.3 billion monthly active users who will now be able to ask questions and get quick answers from the WHO’s “Health Alert” interactive service on Messenger, which is free to use.”
The WHO chatbot can be accessed via the WHO Facebook Page or via Messenger link, and the chatbot will essentially make it users to get up to date information, directly from the WHO at any given time, according to Social Media Today.
This tool is the same tool that WhatsApp had launched with the WHO last month.
The tool on WhatsApp is being used to provide data to government and agencies in order to distribute key updates about the coronavirus pandemic.
Messaging volume has been increasing by more than 50% in some of the regions where the virus has hit the hardest. So now, messaging applications are a key connective tool in many areas, and when these platofrms add new tools in order to create a flow of accurate information about the pandemic it could be a key role in controlling the outbreaks. For having official information available at any time coule help stop the spread of misinformation which has been gaining traction through messaging platforms, according to Social Media Today.
Facebook has mentioned that 12 million people have already used the WhatsApp WHO bot. The new WHO “Health Alert” service is officially available in Messenger.
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