ECA, in collaboration with its partners, has embarked on the creation of the African Communication and Information Platform (ACIP) for Health and Economic Action, which will serve as a platform for two-way information and communication between citizens and government. The platform will bring together for the first time the continent's major mobile network operators, including MTN, Vodacom, Airtel, Ethio Telecom, Safaricom and Orange, ITU and other partners to support each country's COVID-19 Task Force, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, Economy and Planning and international development organizations, including CDC-Africa and ECA with intelligent information and live data analysis for decision-making. This information and analysis will include surveys to measure public health interventions, physical adherence and socio-economic effects of the response to COVID-19, particularly mitigation measures. The platform will serve as a crucial tool for allocating resources and implementing responses and actions to mitigate and eliminate the health and economic consequences of COVID-19 in Africa.

The establishment of the platform follows a meeting of African finance ministers on the effects of VIDOC-19, held on 1 April 2020, at which ECA was requested to assist member States in addressing the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. The concept and structure of the platform were discussed at length in virtual meetings with ministers of finance and ministers of ICT.

The Platform will be launched on 23 June 2020 in a virtual webinar with representatives of Member States, partner organisations, media and telecommunications entities.

Source: uneca.org