By Dennis Agbo

AS the fight against COVID-19 intensifies, an unstructured supplementary Service Data, USSD, has surfaced for quick test and possible contact tracing. Developed by a Nigerian financial technology startup firm, Instant Deposit Limited, the USSD system interacts with the user to capture relevant information, including symptoms and travel history.

The information is processed by the system to notify relevant health authorities including the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC.
The system further advise the user to either stay safe or self-isolate and wait for the authorities to make contact.

Narrating to Vanguard how it works, IDL co-founder, Mr. Ike Ugwu said that the innovative USSD solution helps Nigerians and health authorities to effectively combat COVID-19. According to Ugwu, the innovation is a public health surveillance and early warning system called HealthRadar.NG that helps both Nigerians and all levels of government combat coronavirus as well as other outbreaks. “It’s a quick self-test to have an idea of likelihood of Coronavirus. Citizens and residents are to simply dial the USSD code *347*61*2# to answer simple questions in English and other Nigerian languages.

The result of every test goes directly to relevant health authorities like NCDC who takes swift action depending on the indication from the test. “It’s a bank of information where the government can use to trace potential Covid-19 patients, so that they can have a substantive test,” Ugwu explained. He further disclosed that patent medicine dealers are being accredited to capture symptoms presented by people patronizing them which helps health authorities quickly trace all the potential carriers.

He said that the HealthRadar.NG platform works across all telecom networks, does not require internet service or app download and does not charge money from users.

“We are the ones paying because the core aim of HealthRadar.NG is to provide basic self test to individuals and provide information about any potential carrier for quick response,” Ugwu clarified. He said that for now the code provides information in English and Hausa language, but is working to include other major Nigerian languages.

Ugwu enjoined the state and local governments, NGOs, businesses and philanthropists to partner with HealthRadar.NG as a cost-effective means to taking testing and contact tracing to every nook and cranny of Nigeria.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/firm-unveils-ussd-covid-19-platform-for-self-tests-2/

Yes It works very well. Screenshot attached below.
Admin pls this is front page worthy

This is silly..... I could give wrong answers to the questions....



If this was a country not ridden with overwhelmingly corrupt elites.... We'd have testing centers across all the 774 local government areas, where people will go for test whether with symptoms or not....


I can imagine how much that's looted to even make this possible.... it'll take me a while to get to trust and believe in Nigeria....

yanabasee:
This is silly..... I could give wrong answers to the questions....



If this was a country not ridden with overwhelmingly corrupt elites.... We'd have testing centers across all the 774 local government areas, where people will go for test whether with symptoms or not....


I can imagine how much that's looted to even make this possible.... it'll take me a while to get to trust and believe in Nigeria....

And why would you just decide to supply wrong answers since you hv no symptoms.
Since there is no testing center in all 774 LGAs, someone made it possible to use USSD for emergency situations, what have done so far to help the situation of things around you rather than rant and critisize everything.
Everything is not politically inclined or for monetary gain.

Ina2k:


And why would you just decide to supply wrong answers since you hv no symptoms.
Since there is no testing center in all 774 LGAs, someone made it possible to use USSD for emergency situations, what have done so far to help the situation of things around you rather than rant and critisize everything.
Everything is not politically inclined or for monetary gain.

Oil dey your head.

Ina2k:


And why would you just decide to supply wrong answers since you hv no symptoms.
Since there is no testing center in all 774 LGAs, someone made it possible to use USSD for emergency situations, what have done so far to help the situation of things around you rather than rant and critisize everything.
Everything is not politically inclined or for monetary gain.

I've done so much that I don't feel the media will have a space to even broadcast it....


My initial thoughts were that.... Most people with the symptoms could give wrong answers to the questions...Owing to the stigmatism and death tolls and how the government is handling the situation...

Nobody will want to risk its life in the hands of this misfit government... Even the number two citizen, Malam Abba Kyari couldn't trust his life in hands of the public hospital administrators...