The coronavirus pandemic has spurred African nations to step up their efforts to adopt innovative technologies to contain the spread of infection. In this they have surpassed even the countries of Europe
The German edition of Der Spiegel reminds that in recent times to enter Germany people have to fill out a special form with their hand and present the test for COVID-19. In addition, airlines had to collect tickets and hand them over to government agencies.
Border guards in Zimbabwe were spared the accumulation of useless waste paper thanks to a mobile app that scans a QR code and uses blockchain technology to check for a negative coronavirus test and even its authenticity.
In Kenya, a young developer has also developed an app that enables the tracking of contacts on public transport, where fares are paid for via smartphone.
The Ghanaian government obtains data on the movement of citizens directly from communication service companies. Moredrek Chibi, an expert at the WHO Africa office, notes that the innovation was not at all due to gaps in data protection. On the contrary, developers are being asked to ensure the security of information.
“We were able to quickly apply the inventive spirit of our young people”, – Chibi told Der Spiegel. – “Europe may be better at being able to provide innovation for the long term, but we managed to do it faster. Some of our innovations have really contributed to the fight against the pandemic.”