Africa S Digital Solutions To Tackle Covid 19 en

Africa’s digital solutions
to tackle COVID-19
July 2020
Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19
July 2020
Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19
© European Investment Bank, 2020.
All rights reserved.

All questions on rights and licensing should be addressed to [email protected].
European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank is the financing arm of the European Union. The Bank works on
economic development and cohesion in all countries of the European Union. It will provide up to
€6.7 billion in the coming months to fight the coronavirus pandemic outside the European Union. This
financing will strengthen healthcare, help the private sector and sustain jobs in many countries around
the world.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union. It is responsible for
proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding treaties and managing the day-to-day
business of the Union. It has created a “Team Europe” response to support countries outside Europe
during the pandemic.
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme works in about 170 countries and territories,
fighting poverty and reducing inequalities. The programme also supports development, disaster-
risk reduction and climate change. It is also helping countries meet the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. In all of its activities, it encourages the protection of human rights and the
empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable people.
BearingPoint
BearingPoint is an independent management and technology consultancy with European roots and a
global reach. The company advises private companies, international institutions and public
administrations. Its consulting network supports clients in more than 75 countries including more than
25 African countries.
Disclaimer
This study was conducted from May to June 2020 by BearingPoint under the supervision of the
European Investment Bank and with the collaboration of the United Nations Development
Programme. This paper’s results come mainly from interviews and questionnaires conducted in many
African countries 1. Interviews and questionnaires analysed current digital solutions and reviewed new
ideas.
For further information on the EIB’s activities, please consult our website, www.eib.org. You can also
contact our InfoDesk, [email protected].
Published by the European Investment Bank.

Printed on FSC Paper.
pdf: QH-02-20-541-EN-N ISBN 978-92-861-4717-3 DOI 10.2867/690603
1 See list of countries in Annex 3.

Contents
Foreword ..................................................................................................................................... 3
A statement from the United Nations Development Programme ................................................... 4
Executive summary ...................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7
Analysis and findings ...................................................................................................................10
Digital solutions offered right now.................................................................................................... 10
Priority 1 – Information, risk communication and geolocation of cases ...................................... 10
Collaborative tools .................................................................................................................... 10
Contact-tracing apps ................................................................................................................. 11
Large communication tools ....................................................................................................... 12
Priority 2 – Health system responses ............................................................................................ 13
Self-assessment applications..................................................................................................... 13
Self-assessment solutions – unstructured supplementary service data ................................... 13
Drones and robots ..................................................................................................................... 13
Healthcare software .................................................................................................................. 14
Priority 3 – Supply basic necessities and manage the continuity of essential services ................ 15
E-commerce purchase and delivery platforms ......................................................................... 15
Education technologies ............................................................................................................. 15
Government monitoring dashboards ........................................................................................ 16
Priority 4 – Protection of vulnerable populations ......................................................................... 16
Priority 5 – Anticipate the impact on society and the economy ................................................... 17
Assessment of the digital needs in Africa and the ability of countries to deploy solutions ............. 18
Investment requirements ............................................................................................................23
Going forward .............................................................................................................................25
Annexes ......................................................................................................................................26
Annex 1: Description of solutions ..................................................................................................... 26
Annex 2: Digital solutions case studies ............................................................................................. 34
Annex 3: Countries surveyed............................................................................................................. 58
Annex 4: Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 59
Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 1

2 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19
Foreword
Many African countries have been severely hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. Fragile and less-
developed countries in particular do not have the financial power to withstand the economic troubles
caused by this crisis. Many countries also depend heavily on commodity exports.
Health systems and the local manufacturers of basic medical equipment are often extremely weak.
There is widespread concern that the crisis could lead to social unrest and security problems,
particularly in countries where there is conflict or where a large part of the population is living on a
day-to-day income.
In Africa, COVID-19 is disrupting millions of lives. Poor people and small and informal businesses are
having particular difficulties getting by. Even with containment measures such as lockdowns and
quarantines, the pace of this disruption is likely to accelerate in the months ahead. No country is
exempt. In addition to the social turmoil, the crisis’s economic impact may cause a major displacement
of people.
There is an urgent need to secure supplies of essential products, contain the spread of the virus,
support health systems, stabilise financial systems and help businesses survive. In the short to medium
term, Africa will have to invest heavily in sustainable growth to reverse the economic damage and
increase the resilience of societies and businesses.
The pandemic has put more attention on the world’s digital divide. The internet is a vital
communications tool that can help communities deal with the crisis. The technology sector is helping
many industries adapt to this new situation and reduce the risks. But an estimated 3.6 billion people
are not connected to the internet across the world, including 900 million in Africa. Only 27% of women
in Africa have access to the internet and only 15% of them can afford to use it. People who do not have
access to the internet cannot receive timely information about the crisis. They also can’t get educated
about preventative measures or benefit from telemedicine.
As we seek to limit the spread of the virus with lockdowns and other safety measures, and try to keep
businesses open, the limitations of the technological infrastructure and the lack of investment become
more apparent. In Africa, large companies that support local economies – like banks, the mining
industry or agriculture – need to ensure that workers have internet access. Businesses also need
sufficient capacity to run virtual private networks that enable secure teleworking, and they need to be
protected from cyberattacks at a time of high confusion.
This paper is intended to contribute to the European Union’s response to the coronavirus. This joint
EU response includes a special initiative called “Team Europe.” This new team is helping partner
countries outside the European Union fight the pandemic and prepare for the future. This paper will
enhance communication among public agencies like the European Investment Bank, other members
of Team Europe and the communities that need our help. The paper also seeks to evaluate solutions,
encourage the development of new ideas and identify investments that will make life better for
everyone.
Ambroise Fayolle
Vice-President, European Investment Bank

A statement from the United Nations
Development Programme
The COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time, and the greatest challenge since
World War II. COVID-19 – with its triple threat to health, education, and livelihoods – is undermining
human development globally. In Africa, the pandemic threatens to erase many development gains
made in the past few decades.
Even before COVID-19 hit, Africa was battling several crises, from food shortages to violent extremism.
Yet Africa also has some of the best-performing economies and several countries on the continent
have become world leaders in technological innovation. Mobile payment services, for example, were
pioneered in Africa. The high rate of mobile phone use in some areas helps spur innovations that are
then adapted to each country’s problems. As these same countries race to slow the spread of the
disease, digital tools and technologies are playing a crucial role. Through our work with the
governments, we are seeing creative solutions such as robots that can detect the spread of the virus
in Rwanda, a mobile app that helps market vendors in Uganda, and an open system for contracts that
improves transparency in Kenya.
This paper is timely and important. It outlines the digital solutions being used right now in response to
COVID-19 across the continent. In addition, it lists the investment required to improve digital
technology and digital infrastructure. The document reviews many technologies, such as basic
conferencing software that allows teleworking over a mobile device or computer and social media
platforms that allow people to communicate with each other and enable governments to educate the
public. There are also more advanced offerings, such as the delivery of medical products using drones
and digital platforms that help small businesses stay open.
One of the main findings in this study is that we need smarter and more cost-effective investment. This
will allow us to improve technologies at a faster rate nationally and regionally. The UN Economic
Commission for Africa estimates that the pandemic could cause African economies to contract by 2.6%
in 2020. This will make it harder for local governments to finance and support new technology. This
paper will help Africa understand how much it will cost to develop more digital solutions. As African
countries continue to adapt to the pandemic and prepare for the recovery, there are many ways we
can help them invest in a better future.
The United Nations Development Programme connects countries to the knowledge and resources they
need to build better lives. We are helping countries build communities that are stronger and greener.
We are helping decision-makers look beyond the recovery and toward 2030, so they can make choices
that handle complexity and uncertainty. In the new world after COVID-19, we are convinced that
advanced technologies will be even more important and fulfil Africa’s goal to help everyone in society.
Ahunna Eziakonwa
Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa

Executive summary
At the end of December 2019, China reported several cases of acute respiratory syndrome. A new
coronavirus responsible for this syndrome, called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or
SARS-CoV-2, was identified. The disease is called COVID-19. After a pandemic was declared, African
countries quickly started working to reduce the spread of the virus. Today, the continent still faces the
risk of a massive increase in sick patients and the need to find alternatives to a general lockdown.
The European Union’s plan to fight the pandemic includes a new initiative called Team Europe that is
helping partner countries outside the European Union to recover from the crisis. Team Europe
combines aid from the European Union, its member states and financial institutions such as the
European Investment Bank Group. As of June 2020, almost €36 billion had been mobilised for this
initiative. The EIB Group has pledged €6.7 billion for Team Europe. The Bank’s aid will support urgent
healthcare needs and help many parts of the public and private sectors.
Throughout the world, the public and private sectors have developed digital services and digital
infrastructure to improve healthcare services and boost the economy. The use of more digital
technology to help societies is a top priority for the European Union. Digital services are likely to be a
key feature in a joint strategy to be endorsed at the summit meeting of the European Union and the
African Union in October 2020.
Several African and European companies have indicated their strong willingness to use their expertise
and technology to find alternatives to the quarantine of people and to help fight the crisis. Some of
the new digital technology being used right now across Africa can be implemented quickly and has
proven useful in the fight against the pandemic in several countries.
To better understand the digital solutions that can help Africa and to estimate the investment required,
the European Investment Bank organised a broad-based survey in many African countries, with the
help of the United Nations Development Programme and the consulting firm BearingPoint.
The goal was to highlight technological solutions that can manage the pandemic and provide an
estimate of the costs. This assessment included two main phases: 1) identify solutions already helping
Africa and Europe, and 2) identify the digital solutions African countries need.
These solutions were classified according to five priorities. Based on the classification system, and after
reviewing more than 100 digital solutions in Europe and Africa, interviews were carried out and
questionnaires were completed involving 50 people from 30 African countries. The people involved
are in charge of coordinating digital investments related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Based on the results, we created three categories: category 1, countries with a low ability to deploy
digital solutions; category 2, countries with an intermediate ability to take advantage of digital
solutions; and category 3, countries that have already accomplished three or four priorities identified
in this paper.
The total investment required to carry out these digital solutions across the African continent, not
including costs related to telecom infrastructure, training, or law improvement, has been estimated at
€680 million – €190 million for category 1, €140 million for category 2, and €350 million for category 3.

African countries have faced many different crises in the past, especially health-related emergencies
such as Ebola. This new crisis is another burden that could hurt the positive trend African economies
have experienced over the last 10 years. The digital economy has given countries the ability to
accelerate part of the services offered to people. This is part of the so-called digital leapfrog. The
coronavirus has required certain countries to quickly implement new digital tools to help communicate
with the public, to strengthen healthcare and to monitor the evolution of the pandemic. This shows
that in an emergency, African countries have the ability to launch impactful digital projects.
However, based on the interviews, most African countries have reached their limits of financing and
lack the ability to go the extra mile to complete the digital transformations required to fight COVID-19
and future crises. The amount of investment and technical assistance still needed is not huge
compared to other development programmes and financing initiatives, so efforts should be made to
fill this gap. These efforts would go a long way toward increasing the resilience of African countries.
This is what the Bank intends to provide for the digital economy.
To meet its commitment to Team Europe, the Bank will work with the public and private sectors to
increase financing for healthcare services and businesses. This will include support for regional trade
and highly vulnerable sectors. Fast-track financing will be available for countries where the EIB already
operates. The Bank aims to attract private sector investment. In the spirit of the Team Europe
approach, this initiative has been designed so that EIB financing can be matched by support from
international and European development finance partners.

Introduction
Africa has been less affected than Europe by the coronavirus crisis, but the number of cases is
increasing as the pandemic progresses across the continent. Measures must be taken so that it does
not get worse. Many African families depend on the informal economy 2 and will have to find means of
subsistence to continue to live closer to normalcy.
Restrictive containment measures have to be accompanied by economic and social solutions, such as
a safety net for people in isolation who cannot work. However, the real concern is reaching people
quickly with assistance, but without exposing them to the virus. In predominantly informal economies,
most families seek a new source of income every day. Total lockdown in the absence of a daily safety
net and the means to relay direct aid would cause a complete economic halt and an increase in poverty.
Distributing cash would break the lockdown, putting families at risk. Supply chains also cannot be
guaranteed under total lockdown.
The World Health Organization is encouraging people to use digital payment services when possible,
saying that the use of cash could be a risk factor in the spread of the coronavirus. Mobile financial
services, which have grown across the continent, are allowing governments and startups to perform a
significant volume of digital transactions. However, there are huge disparities across the continent in
mobile financial services. Countries such as Kenya rely heavily on these technologies for any kind of
transaction, while many other countries rarely use this service. Mobile services can be expanded
rapidly across the continent with the right financing. Startups that are focused on financial inclusion
receive the majority of venture capital funding in Africa.
Among the measures that can support Africa, some can serve fundamental needs and secure minimum
services, while some can help prepare the continent for the future and make countries more capable
of tackling other health or social crises. Based on several readings 3 and discussions, the European
Investment Bank identified five priorities to address a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
and to suggest digital solutions. Those priorities address the three main objectives of Team Europe --
responding to the immediate needs, strengthening healthcare and other essential programmes, and
reducing the social and economic effects of the crisis.
2 “The International Labour Organization estimates that more than 66% of total employment in Sub-Saharan African is
in the informal sector.” “Understanding the informal economy in African cities: Recent evidence from Greater
Kampala,” by Angus Morgan Kathage, March 14, 2018, blogs.worldbank.org/team/angus-morgan-kathage.
3 Readings including “Tackling COVID-19 in Africa, An unfolding health and economic crisis that demands bold action” by
Kartik Jayaram, Acha Leke, Amandla Ooko-Ombaka, and Ying Sunny Sun.

Priorities Digital solutions
1 – Information, risk communication and geolocation of cases
A. Coordinate government actions 1.1. Set up and operation of the state capacity
B. Anticipate pandemic evolution 1.2. Digital tracking and monitoring
C. Inform the population 1.3. Proactive communication
2 – Health systems responses
D. Cure the infected 2.1. Contain the epidemic: preventative measures,
diagnostics, testing, isolation
E. Increase capacity to fight the pandemic 2.2. Prepare the healthcare ecosystem: infrastructure,
drugs and medical equipment
D. Strengthen health systems 2.3. Prepare the healthcare ecosystem: workforce
3 – Supply basic necessities and manage the continuity of essential services
F. Support the vulnerable population 3.1. Secure the food supply: supply priority products,
pricing, tracking and monitoring
E. Increase capacity to fight the pandemic 3.2. Maintain access to essential services: health and
education, telecommunications, utilities
4 – Protection of vulnerable populations
G. Know what to do 4.1. Protect jobs: retraining for crisis needs
F. Support the poorest 4.2. Support most vulnerable populations: social
safety-net mechanisms and distribution
5 – Anticipate the impact on society and the economy
G. Know what to do 5.1. Economy: scenario analysis, impact on economy
and public finance
H. Increase resilience 5.2. Short-term stimulus package: financial stability,
help firms survive, especially small companies and
informal economy
H. Increase resilience 5.3. Preparation for recovery: preparation for "next
normal"
All priorities require substantial financial mobilisation and coordination. Some may prove challenging
because of physical distancing rules, population movement and the evolution of the pandemic. But
digital solutions can still significantly help countries fight the pandemic.
When addressing digital technology in Africa, it is important to consider the challenges, such as access
to electricity, internet connectivity, infrastructure, policies and regulations, and the ability of people
to use the digital solutions.
Despite these challenges, the digital economy has grown significantly in Africa, with incubators,
startups, and IT activities spreading across the continent. Using technology and experience, Africans
have created many digital solutions to provide immediate help for the pandemic. Many countries
across the continent are using digital technology and developing highly innovative solutions. They have
established laws and regulatory frameworks and continue to develop digital skills to offer new
solutions. Africa has another key advantage: mobile banking. 4 The massive use of mobile banking for
direct payments is an important solution. Ventures such as M-BIRR, which offer mobile money
transfers, allow Ethiopians to send and receive money safely and instantly by phone.
4 An example from Togo around basic universal income implementation leveraging on digital here by the innovation team:
https://podcasts.apple.com/my/podcast/covid-cash-transfer-programme-in-togo-that-gives-
more/id1508950038?i=1000477961786

However, there are strong disparities among countries. This study describes the current state of
digitalisation, the needs in many areas and the challenges African countries are facing in deploying the
solutions.
Many of these needs can generally be met without heavy investment. Filling the gaps and providing
rapid responses to fight COVID-19 are technically and financially feasible for the international
community, and these responses will make the continent’s societies and economies more resilient.
This work should be done in accordance with data protection and privacy laws and should be subject
to good cybersecurity to avoid any misuse of data. This will ensure that investments meet the
international community’s values and standards.
The European Union is working in various ways and using different programmes to fill these gaps. It is
focusing on these areas:
• Responding to the immediate health crisis and humanitarian needs. This includes supporting
the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
• Strengthening healthcare, water and sanitation, and increasing partner countries’ ability to
deal with the pandemic.
• Reducing the social and economic consequences, including giving more support to the private
sector, especially small businesses, and encouraging government reforms to reduce poverty.
The European Union is a major contributor to the international aid system. It is promoting a
coordinated, multilateral response to the pandemic by joining forces with the United Nations,
international financial institutions, and members of the G7 and G20.

Analysis and findings
Digital solutions offered right now

According to the interviews and questionnaires received, many digital solutions for the pandemic
address the urgent priorities identified here. A wide range of solutions and technologies have been
identified and studied in this paper. Around 100 solutions are already being implemented5 or tested
in African countries. Some solutions are technologically very simple, while others are truly innovative.
All provide thoughtful examples of the way to support the fight against the pandemic.
Digital technologies used in relation to the priorities (see in Annex 1 for a full-page table).
Priority 1 – Information, risk communication and geolocation of cases

The first priorities to address in a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic are the country’s ability
to keep the private and public sectors running, to monitor the spread of the pandemic and to ensure
good communication with people about the risks.
Collaborative tools
Tools enabling people to collaborate on projects are widely used across Africa and allow countries to
keep operating public services such as ministerial councils, crisis units and surveillance teams.
It seems that the surge in bandwidth use due to the crisis did not break the internet in Africa. As in the
rest of the world, network operators and content providers successfully maintained internet services
and used the data capacity efficiently. Data capacity was very often increased to avoid major
congestion. This internet access resilience is partly related to competition among data networks,
especially in urban areas, which allowed traffic peaks to be managed, eliminating service interruptions.
5 As of June 2020.

The coronavirus crisis made it even clearer that providing advanced broadband connections involves
a number of challenges. It also put the huge digital divide across the continent into stark relief.
Advanced broadband is required for a good experience with videoconferences and other online
services. Since the informal economy is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, most people do not work
in offices. Teleworking is usually the reserve of managers at service companies or people working for
the government, multi-national companies or international organisations.
Contact-tracing apps
Many applications based on geographic information technologies are used to track and monitor the
pandemic. These apps often use geolocation data from telecom companies and help identify the
contacts of people who have tested positive, and can locate neighbourhoods where the virus is
spreading.
Many African startups have developed this type of solution for local needs. FabLab, an innovation hub
in Kenya, has developed an application called Msafari, 6 which can track people on public transport.
Morocco launched a COVID-19 tracking application called Wiqaytna 7 in June. The application is
downloaded onto mobile phones and uses GPS and Bluetooth technology. Once a case is found, the
application crosschecks the person’s movements over the last 14 days. Users who have been in contact
with someone who has tested positive are notified with a text message. The application has been
download more than 1 million times.
Case study on Msafari, Kenya
On 23 March 2020, Kenya launched an application for contact-tracing. Public service vehicle
operators and passengers are required to provide information that helps trace the movements of
people who have contracted the coronavirus. All public drivers or operators are required to enroll
using their vehicle registration numbers and collect details of every passenger. The application is
expected to trace all the contacts made by an infected person inside public vehicles. An estimated
50% of the Kenyan population uses public transport daily. The application is also intended to enforce
a rule on the maximum number of passengers allowed on matatus (minibuses) and buses.
In Tunisia, Enova Robotics has developed the PGuard robot 8, which has been circulating in Tunis since
the end of March in a pilot phase. Equipped with speakers and a camera, all remotely controlled, the
robot can broadcast safety instructions, check the validity of exit authorisations, and ensure
compliance with the lockdown. Such measures can slow the spread of the virus.
Phone apps may help fight the pandemic, but they also raise privacy and data protection concerns.
Digital measures used for the pandemic must comply with data protection and privacy legislation or
be in line with locally approved practices. The European Commission has recommended a common EU
approach on contact-tracing apps, designed to warn people if they have been in contact with an
infected person. The apps should not be obligatory and their use should end once the pandemic is
over.
6 “We can get it done here”: Africa’s tech scene tackles virus”, Rosebank Killerney Gazette, by Fran Blandy and AFP Africa
bureaus, Nairobi (AFP) | 19 May 2020 3:05.
7 Explained through questionnaire answered by Moroccan Digital Agency (https://www.wiqaytna.ma/).
8 https://enovarobotics.eu/.

Large communication tools
Due to the lack of infrastructure, communication is often a challenge in Africa, especially in rural areas
and in poor or isolated communities. Communication is even harder under physical-distancing rules.
Structured communication campaigns were established quickly in some countries using television,
radio, and social networks. Websites, COVID dashboards 9 and government applications have been set
up to provide reliable information to people in real time, and to fight fake news. Countries such as
Guinea-Bissau 10 and Kenya 11 have created websites to help educate people about the pandemic and
combat false information.
In Libya, an emergency telecom hotline managed by the World Food Programme allows humanitarian
workers to communicate with communities that need help. It is also trying to ascertain how men and
women access and use information differently, to help ensure that the needs of all people can be met.
In several countries, the World Health Organization has set up an artificial intelligence chatbot to
provide information. Called WHO HEALTH Alert, the chatbot is available in more than 10 languages.
Since February, the WHO has reached out to dozens of governments to help provide accurate
information to the public through the WhatsApp service. 12 There have also been country-led offerings
in Egypt (including a version for the deaf), Congo and Zimbabwe. 13
German development agency GIZ and the European Commission’s development department, known
as DEVCO, are providing up to €30 million in financing for hackathons. One of these initiatives is called
SmartDevelopmentHack, launched by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development. The hackathon is calling for digital solutions to fight the coronavirus in low- and middle-
income countries. It is sponsored by the German development ministry, the EU Commission, EU
countries, technology companies and other organisations, and is a global hackathon launched ahead
of the German presidency of the EU Council. The German software company SAP and the survey
company Qualtrics have worked together to help governments collect real-time data from the public
and healthcare workers. This data can be quickly analysed to help respond to the crisis.
Receiving reliable health and safety information is complicated in most regions of Africa without a
smartphone or other mobile device and access to the internet. Women experience a particularly
substantial cost barrier to getting smartphones, so there is a risk that they will not know how to protect
themselves or their families. Some countries use robots to communicate with the public and make
sure physical-distancing rules are followed.
Ivory Coast is using drones to spread messages in rural areas. These drones 14 were developed by three
local companies, Côte d’Ivoire Drone, WeFly Agri and Investiv, and are also used to sanitise large areas.
9 Example in Angola.
10 https://airtable.com/shr2xNxlgBXK5oWDb/tblwPhDJfiisTMNg6/viwRoWh6lu99wyzz7/rec65Dm5ijydDlsnA.
11 https://airtable.com/shr2xNxlgBXK5oWDb/tblwPhDJfiisTMNg6/viwRoWh6lu99wyzz7/recWftuJQmCKepel5.
12 See solution 9 in Annex 2.
13 https://airtable.com/shrGXLJECotnZa1Ou/tblwPhDJfiisTMNg6/viwRoWh6lu99wyzz7?blocks=bipVDslkfppjON6Dh.

Priority 2 – Health system responses
The health crisis also can be managed with digital technologies that improve prevention and
diagnostics. It’s also important to improve the healthcare infrastructure and the workforce.
Self-assessment applications
Many websites have been launched to share virus prevention advice. In Togo, the startup
Teachmepad 15 has launched a website in local languages that provides prevention information. This
initiative is being offered in other languages in different African countries. It may also provide
information through phone messages.
To reduce pressure on care centres and healthcare workers, it is important for people to try to self-
diagnose. Wellvis 16, a healthcare application, is offering a tool that helps people diagnose themselves
and contact medical emergency workers in 15 African countries. Such services are particularly useful
in countries with a weak healthcare system that cannot serve large numbers of patients. Mbaza is a
COVID-19 chatbot used in Rwanda. The solution provides access to valuable COVID-19 information in
plain language on any phone at any time and enables feedback connecting people to the authorities.
It allows citizens to raise concerns and to provide governments with information on the local situation.
The solution was highlighted during #SmartDevelopmentHack organised by the European Commission,
together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Self-assessment solutions – unstructured supplementary service data
The government of Sierra Leone 17, in partnership with local startups, launched a self-assessment
solution based on this technology in April. An existing unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)
government platform was extended to enable citizens to conduct a self-assessment of their symptoms
and get updates on Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 situation. An additional SMS mobile application that offers
users the same functionalities was also developed for smartphone users. USSD technology is a low-
cost service that helps reach people who have no internet coverage and no access to smartphones.
USSD solutions are the best way to reach both men and women, as there is a significant gender gap
for smartphones. Women in low and middle-income countries are 20% less likely to own a smartphone
than men. The ability of people to obtain an initial diagnosis not only reassures the population but also
helps predict the spread of the virus.
Drones and robots
In April, as the coronavirus was circulating in Ghana, an American startup, Zipline 18, started using
drones to collect test samples from health facilities in rural areas, and deliver them to medical
laboratories in the country’s two largest cities, Accra and Kumasi. Zipline drones were already being
used in Ghana and Rwanda for blood transfer between healthcare facilities. This technology performs
600 deliveries per day in Ghana and covers more than 500 hospitals. The company has a contract with

17 “Sierra Leone goes live with SMS and USSD COVID-19 self-assessment mobile services”, Directorate of Sciences
Technology, and Innovation.

Ghana to make those 600 deliveries a day for four years at a cost of about $12.5 million. Drones are
covering an area that serves nearly 22 million people.
Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), uses four
humanoid robots in coronavirus treatment centres to minimise physical contact. These robots can
screen 50 to 150 people per minute. The robots can deliver food and medication to patient rooms and
monitor patient status. These robots protect health workers’ lives by minimising physical contact and
can speed up service delivery.
Healthcare software
Health Management Information Systems and other data collection systems exist for multiple
purposes such as routine health facility data, staffing, equipment, infrastructure, population estimates,
disease outbreaks, survey/audit data, patient satisfaction surveys, longitudinal patient records, etc. In
a pandemic situation, a digitalised healthcare ecosystem may facilitate the pandemic response by
enhancing surveillance and control activities (e.g. for rapid case reporting), and by facilitating the
exchange of information (such as efficient documentation and sharing of patient records). The spread
of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of health data exchange and
interoperability, and has exposed their limited penetration across health organisations. Data
visualisation systems (such as GIS) have proven useful to ensuring that programme staff and health
workers have a better understanding of the context (geospatial data, administrative and health
facilities) and the pandemic (epidemiological overview maps – geospatial and over time). By providing
this data in an easy-to-grasp format, health workers and officials are more likely to take this into
account for decision making, logistical planning, etc.
Several healthcare software developers have adapted their offers during the pandemic, focusing on
COVID-19 monitoring. SAP has launched a healthcare application that can be set up in less than a
month that helps health ministries to monitor a patient’s situation, equipment, and medicine stocks,
and provides a real-time dashboard with combined data. The Ministry of Health in Morocco has already
implemented this application.
The mHERO 19 solution – initially developed in 2014 for the fight against Ebola and used in Uganda,
Guinea, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone – has enabled many countries that have adopted it to continue
their fight against pandemic situations. mHERO is a two-way mobile phone-based communication
system that connects ministries of health and health workers. Communication can reach the
healthcare workforce in rural areas with no internet coverage by using simple talk-and-text phones.
While the platform is built on free technologies, countries are only responsible for the cost of sending
texts through mobile network operator and employees’ time for using and maintaining the system.
Enabel, the Belgian development agency, and other partners have worked to roll out DHIS2 for health
data (District Health Information Software is an open source, web-based health management
information system platform). DHIS2 has recently released a digital data package for COVID-19
detection, reporting and surveillance 20.

20 https://www.dhis2.org/covid-19.

Priority 3 – Supply basic necessities and manage the continuity of essential
services
The third priority is securing access to the food supply chain and essential services.
E-commerce purchase and delivery platforms
Digital commerce has proven it can meet people’s needs during the pandemic. In fact, as physical
distancing is imposed many online platforms are being used to purchase and deliver products. This
means that digital commerce – as a contact-reduced way of providing products and services – can
allow for food security and economic resilience even when shops are closed or movement is restricted
due to lockdown measures. Jumia, the African e-commerce leader, has strengthened its offerings and
supply chain facilities to meet the increase in demand. Jumia has also included products from informal
workers, especially women, to help them save and restructure their jobs. The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with Jumia Uganda 21, has launched an online
platform to enable small and medium-sized businesses to connect with consumers in order to meet
new requirements while restrictions on movement are in force. Jumia Food is offering an online
ordering platform via an app and a website. The services include a last-mile distribution network, a
diverse set of payment methods, quality assurance, training for vendors and growth marketing. The
United Nations agency has provided mobile phones, airtime and data services for the vendors.
The European Commission’s development department is working on different projects for online
commerce to address the COVID-19 crisis, some with local solutions 22and some being carried out with
the UN Capital Development Fund in Sierra Leone, for example.
The crisis has accelerated the development of online commerce in Africa. Online platforms are
adapting and offering essential products to meet people’s needs. Hypermarkets and local producers
are also getting involved.
Education technologies
The lockdown has caused school buildings to close. To adapt, many countries are using online teaching,
social media, TV, radio and other digital education offerings.
Shule Direct is an online learning platform for students and teachers in secondary schools in Tanzania.
This platform is serving over 2 million students and 23 637 teachers. Telecommunications companies
are offering free access to the platform during COVID-19 crisis.
Eneza Education 23 currently serves around 380 000 people a month. It offers a subscription service for
educational content to children in primary and secondary schools via SMS or USSD, with a daily,
weekly, or monthly subscription in Kenya, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Elsewhere, KaiOs 24, a low-cost solution for simple text-and-talk phones, has launched an application
named “Life” that enables students to learn, take quizzes, complete assignments, and prepare for
national exams, all on a KaiOs-enabled device.

22 Digital Agriculture Africa: https://toolkit-digitalisierung.de/en/smartdevelopmenthack/winners/.

In Uganda, Enabel has helped the mobile phone operator MTN set up special ICT training programmes
based on open source software. The platform ensures continuity of technical and vocational education
and training. Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion. Over 20%
of children between the ages of about 6 and 11 are out of school, followed by 30% of young people
between the ages of about 12 and 14.
Government monitoring dashboards
Supplying medicines and basic necessities nationwide remains a major challenge for all countries. If
countries can track supply in real time, they can adjust to shortfalls.
Djibouti is currently relying on BI Dashboards 25 to monitor stocks of medical supplies and critical
imports. Using two dashboards, the government receives requests for COVID-19 supplies from all
health facilities countrywide in real time through a simplified request form that is accessible by
smartphone or computer. It also helps the Ministry of Trade streamline the supply chain and ensure
the stability of resale prices and therefore the availability of key food items at affordable prices.
The European Commission’s development department is providing €7 million in financing for countries
in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development region. This financing will help these countries
establish surveillance and monitoring systems for COVID-19 data in line with European standards for
data protection and privacy. The systems will be compatible with national and continental systems,
such as those established by the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The German
development agency GIZ and the Digital for Development Hub are the leading partners for this project.
Priority 4 – Protection of vulnerable populations

People operating in the informal economy are the hardest hit by the crisis and are more vulnerable to
the lockdown. We need to ensure support for these vulnerable populations.
SafeBoda 26, an e-commerce platform in Uganda, has partnered with the UNDP to launch an initiative
that will provide 800 market vendors with access to the SafeBoda app. They can use the app to sell
their produce while creating and maintaining the livelihoods of the 18 000 SafeBoda riders whose
income has been affected by the ban on public transport. The application will enable about 50 000
customers to be reached daily with food and goods delivery.
Famoco 27 has developed the SCOPE platform for the World Food Programme to organise, assist and
monitor food and non-food distribution to poor communities and other people who need help. This
technology is based on the distribution of e-vouchers through a secure digital platform and the use of
a professional terminal by any shopkeeper partnering with the programme.
In general, African governments have had the daunting task of finding solutions to help the poorest
people. The contribution of digital has made it possible to facilitate the implementation of this
assistance and ensure that it is the right citizens who benefit.
The pandemic has had severe consequences in sectors where a majority of women are employed.
Most women across the continent do not have savings accounts. Social protection and food security –


among other key issues – should be a focus in the gender equality responses to COVID-19, including
support for technologies such as biometric identification and mobile financial services.
Priority 5 – Anticipate the impact on society and the economy

Anticipating and managing the impact on the economy has been a challenge for governments during
the pandemic.
The UNDP Accelerator Lab, in Kenya28, has compiled a systems map covering the relationships
between the effects and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UNDP Accelerator Lab began by
casting its net wide to see how the response to COVID-19 was evolving. It drew on stories and data
from social media. The factors considered included people, institutions, trends, events, norms, beliefs,
laws and policies:
• Increasing local production in the long term could encourage inclusive growth and help in the
fight against climate change if transport to other parts of the world is reduced.
• Transparency and accountability: To increase the public’s voice and participation in the
process of accountability, governments should publish the procurement details of their entire
medical infrastructure, develop open contracting platforms, and follow other forms of
accountability for public operations.
• Access to the formal justice system: The crisis could encourage different arms of government
to rethink their approach to technology and to see how it can be used to provide a more
engaging experience for everyone involved.
Much of the digital transformation Africa is experiencing because of the COVID-19 pandemic will
increase the continent’s economic resilience via a higher level of digital knowledge, better productivity
and stronger inclusion.

Assessment of the digital needs in Africa and the ability of
countries to deploy solutions
In our in-depth study, we reviewed digital technologies already being used in African countries and
those that still need to be developed. One of the main findings from these interviews is that many
digital initiatives have already been implemented across a large number of African countries, but a lot
more could be done to improve the ability of the continent to fight COVID-19 and handle related
problems, while also preparing to fight other crises in the future. Investments in digital technologies
that provide immediate solutions to the pandemic will also build medium-term and long-term
economic resilience.
First of all, the majority of the surveyed countries have set up

a specific organisation or task forces to combat the COVID-19 “A voluntary task force has been
pandemic. For more than half of them, this unit is not focused setup by some Gambians to
only on the coordination of digital initiatives, but also on all coordinate digital initiatives and
actions taken to deal with the pandemic. These specific fight COVID-19.” - Alagie Fadera,
organisations are sometimes led by prime ministers, and Directorate of Development
most often comprise several institutions and ministries, such Planning, Ministry of Finance and
as the ministries in charge of the digital economy, health, Economic Affairs (Gambia)
information and communication technology, security or
telecommunications. The telecommunications regulatory authorities and the country's mobile phone
operators may also be members of these task forces. Sometimes they are voluntary initiatives by the
public.
However, few countries have adopted a specific law or official decision to regulate the deployment of
digital solutions for COVID-19. For many of them, the deployment of digital solutions is already covered
by existing regulations.
Among the sub-priorities identified, two are almost always addressed by the countries studied: the
communication of official information to populations via e-government platforms or mobile phone
applications (Priority 1) and continued access to essential services, especially education (Priority 3):
• Communication of official information to populations via e-government platforms or mobile

phone applications
The coordination of official communications to the public is considered the first priority in
responding to the pandemic. Multiple solutions have emerged. They range from the simple
communication of information through an official government or health ministry website to
the implementation of mobile applications, and sometimes chatbot solutions, SMS platforms
or specific call centres. These solutions communicate information about the pandemic in the
country, security measures and government directives, but also information on fighting fake
news. Many countries have implemented more than one solution.
• Continued access to essential services
Essential services, such as education, access to energy, water sanitation or security, are also
priorities, according to the different statements and concerns from all African countries.

Improving distance education is also a high priority in African countries, and digital solutions
in this field have multiplied, using mobile applications, Skype, and the broadcasting of courses
on national radio or television.
Some priorities are often addressed by African countries, but in a second phase: the analysis of
geographic data to understand the spread of the pandemic and the movements of people (Priority 1),
the control of the epidemic through methods such as self-diagnosis and better patient care (Priority 2),
and improvements in information systems and equipment in healthcare (Priority 2).
In general, a large number of solutions are developed around the USSD channel, particularly for people
who don’t have a smartphone and who are often the most isolated. This solution also improves
inclusion.
The study highlighted three categories for African countries based their digital progress and their
ability to use these solutions. Category 1, for example, adopted digital technologies in a slow and
limited manner, while category 3 used digital technologies in a timely way to address a vast array of
problems related to the pandemic. According to the interviews, the speed of adoption depends on the
ability to develop technology, local coordination, the spread of the pandemic and access to loans or
other financing.
% of countries interviewed by category
• Country category 1 – Countries with a low capacity to deploy digital solutions, having
responded to very few or no priorities mentioned
• Country category 2 – Countries with an intermediate capacity to deploy digital solutions, which
have had the capacity to address 2 to 3 priorities
• Country category 3 – Countries that have already covered 3 to 4 priorities with their deployed
digital solutions and whose need is to implement a global digital transformation plan and
increase economic resilience

It is noteworthy that there is a certain link between the implementation of digital solutions and the
condition of society and the economy in the country. For instance, the average human development
index (HDI) of countries in category 1 is about 0.47, with an average of 40 in terms of ranking in Africa.
This is 0.58 and 26 for countries in category 2, and 0.59 and 16 for countries in category 3. There is a
direct link between the amount of development in an African country and the ability to take advantage
of new digital technologies to fight the pandemic.
Source - World Bank Development Indicators
Category 1 - Countries with a low ability to take advantage of new digital technologies, having
accomplished few or no priorities mentioned in this paper.
This first category is for countries experiencing significant difficulties in taking advantage of new digital
technologies. These countries are using only one solution that helps maintain access to education and
enables online courses for students, or the country may not have deployed any digital solutions. A few
countries in this category are experiencing difficulties getting started with a solution or persuading
people to use them. A lack of electricity and internet are major challenges identified in the interviews,
in remote areas and in cities. In some areas, few people have electricity or internet. The second
significant issue is the lack of internet servers, data centres and electricity supporting the digital
technology already in place or in development. Another difficulty – in Ethiopia, Liberia and Democratic
Republic of Congo – is the lack of a digital identification system, which is a huge constraint for countries
trying to develop a digital strategy. Countries in this first category have a big problem accessing
electricity (less than 40% of population), and mobile phone use is less than 45%, while internet access
is less than 20%.
These countries, with an underdeveloped digital economy, usually also have the lowest ability to fight
the pandemic with economic power or strong healthcare systems. They are experiencing major
challenges dealing with the pandemic and they could be helped quickly by digital technologies. These
countries generally have a strong need for digital solutions to accomplish the first three priorities, in
particular to enable:

• Tracking of the epidemic and analysis of the most affected areas
• Remote working in key government departments and the provision of equipment to
employees
• Improvement of patient care
• Better communication with the public and education about physical distancing for countries
that have not deployed digital technologies to meet these needs
Countries have often identified or even started to develop local digital solutions that meet these
objectives. However, those countries do not have the capacity to roll out those technologies across
their territory due to a lack of funding and infrastructure and low levels of digital knowledge.
Moreover, as these countries have very low internet access rates, they need simple solutions often
relying on the USSD channel in order to reach a larger share of the population easily.
In addition to the challenges already mentioned, people are generally not familiar with common digital
tools, or do not have access to the equipment to use these tools. In addition, these countries do not
always have the local capacity to deploy digital solutions throughout the territory and need support
from technical partners. Often they have not even been able to find the right technical partners.
Angola, for example, is finding it difficult to develop digital solutions, according to its national director
for technological innovation. The country was yet to implement any solutions for the coronavirus crisis.
Category 2 - Countries with an intermediate capacity to deploy digital solutions, but with the ability
to accomplish two or three priorities.
Countries in this category usually have at least 40% electricity access, 45% mobile phone penetration
and 20% internet users.
In addition to the priorities already covered by the first country category, these countries have
identified or deployed digital solutions covering broader needs. Concerning the first priority, some of
these countries have deployed equipment and tools to facilitate the remote working of several
government administrations and tracking applications to anticipate the evolution of the epidemic and
identify risk areas. They have also deployed solutions to address priorities relating to the anticipation
and the management of the health crisis, including mobile applications or USSD interfaces offering
self-diagnosis services and providing a list of doctors and health centres in the country, or the
possibility to ask questions and seek medical advice.
As a result, these countries are now focusing primarily on the enhancement of the healthcare system
(in particular by developing a centralised information system) and the creation of online health services
over the long term. After using digital solutions to provide an immediate answer to the pandemic –
informing the public, limiting the spread of the virus or making more efficient use of healthcare
resources – countries in this category can also work on building economic resilience. For instance, they
also need to implement online commerce and online payment solutions, making it possible to secure
the food supply chain, as well as adding tools to monitor medical supply distribution channels.
Countries in this category generally have a sufficient mobile penetration rate, above 80%, which does
not represent a major obstacle to the deployment of digital solutions. However, these are often
“feature phones,” as the proportion of the population owning a smartphone remains low, and the
average internet user rate within countries in this category is only 20%. In addition, these countries
generally have a broad vision of the local IT solutions market and have the local capacity to deploy
digital solutions across the country easily. For the largest part of this catagory, there is sufficient local
capacity in terms of information technology resources to deploy digital solutions.

Category 3 - Countries that have already accomplished three or four priorities with their digital
solutions, but that still need to implement a digital transformation plan and increase economic
resilience.
The third category involves countries that have implemented a large number of digital initiatives that
address most of the priorities identified in this report to fight the pandemic. These investments are
countering the spread of the pandemic in a major way. These innovative solutions have enabled
remote working for public entities, tracking solutions for the pandemic, effective communication with
the population, and improvement of healthcare services. These countries are going even further by
using online commerce and online payments to secure the food supply or protect jobs, or solutions to
support the poorest people. For example, Mauritania has set up systems to monitor food and medical
supply stocks and their distribution, and Morocco has set up an online portal enabling companies to
declare employees who can no longer work fulltime.
These countries primarily need to anticipate and manage the pandemic’s impact on the economy in
the long term, implement solutions to increase economic resilience, and offer sustainable digital
solutions that can transform society.
These countries have demonstrated a strong ability to

“We’ve done a lot, we are happy. At deploy digital solutions throughout the territory, with a
least our innovators and our global outlook on the local IT solutions market. Their rates
community were able to address the of internet users are disparate and may be very limited,
challenges.” - Angelos Munezero, but the population has a high level of digital knowledge
Ministry of Information Technology and the high rate of mobile phones and smartphones use
and Communications, Rwanda help these countries provide effective digital solutions for
the crisis.
To sum up, the rollout of those solutions is restrained by various challenges in different countries. The
absence of a digital identity system in some countries is an obstacle to identification, monitoring and
outreach to poor populations. The limited testing for COVID-19 and access to the internet hinders the
deployment of tracking solutions, and the low rate of mobile payment users also limits the possible
solutions. However, many solutions already developed or created during the pandemic have addressed
some of the crisis’s challenges.
They won’t help all the challenges in Africa, but technological solutions can help countries battle the
coronavirus, while digitalising economies and making them stronger.

Investment requirements
Outside the European Union, the Bank signs agreements with countries to offer development finance
and other aid. Africa will require a significant level of sustainable investments to help the economy and
society recover from the coronavirus crisis.
A wide range of the digital solutions listed in this study require financing to reach their full potential
across the continent. The solutions would help manage the crisis, assist medical staff, control the
spread of the virus, support the poorest people and help the government educate the public and fight
fake news. Each African country is addressing the crisis differently and implementing different
measures. The investments have to be adapted according to the level of the pandemic: identification
of the crisis, start of the crisis, middle of the crisis, end of lockdown measures, return to something
approaching normal life.
To estimate each country’s financing needs, three main factors were considered: solutions that have
been implemented; solutions that have been identified and budgeted; and investments that still need
to be budgeted. For the third factor, regional benchmarks were used to estimate investment
requirements. For countries that did not respond to the interviews or questionnaires, investment
requirements were estimated based on regional benchmarks with similar criteria.
For each of the sub-priorities defined by the Bank, we identified a digital solution that is deployable
and whose benefits go beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. For each solution, we estimated the costs in
each African country according to local factors.
All the factors include fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs aren’t connected to the number of people
served, such as websites and online commerce, which require one solution per country. Variable costs
can change with the number of people served, and could include the number of devices offered to
students, the number of devices offered to healthcare staff, and the distribution points. Examples of
the factors include:
• Devices with access to educational content for students: This involves the number of students
enrolled in secondary and tertiary education in rural areas who can benefit from an initiative.
• Solutions to identify and reach vulnerable populations: This involves the number of people
below the poverty line who can benefit from a service.
• Devices used by healthcare workers for patient monitoring: This involves the number of
healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 work who can benefit from an initiative.
• USSD self-diagnostics: This involves the percentage of the population that uses mobile phones
and can benefit from such USSD services.
• Drone deliveries. This involves the size of areas covered by drone deliveries in a country
The calculations explained above were applied to data from the World Health Organization and the
World Bank. The data used for estimates include factors such as population, land areas, poverty
numbers, poverty income levels of $1.90 a day, school enrolment, medical doctors, nurses and
midwives, cellular subscriptions and people using the Internet.
The following estimates do not take into account technical assistance or regulatory reforms needed to
address data protection, governance, ethics and privacy issues. The total investment required to carry
out these digital solutions across the African continent has been estimated at €680 million over the
next 12 months.

The estimates are based on input from 27 African countries. The feedback was collected using
interviews and questionnaires.
The estimates only cover the cost of acquiring and deploying digital solutions.
Category Countries Estimates

1 Countries with a low ability to deploy digital solutions. They have €190 million
accomplished very few or no priorities listed in this paper.
2 Countries with an intermediate capacity to deploy digital solutions. €140 million
They have accomplished two or three of the priorities.
3 Countries that have accomplished three or four digital priorities, but €350 million
they still need to implement a digital transformation plan and
increase economic resilience.
Total 12 months investment requirements across the African €680 million
continent

Going forward
Most African countries are already using many digital technologies to fight the new coronavirus.
However, these solutions are not enough, according to most people interviewed. What solutions
deserve extra investment to help fight the pandemic, while improving social and economic resilience?
This answer can vary widely depending on the country and the state of digital technology there.
For category 1 countries, the goal is to find affordable solutions for immediate and basic needs, while
making a big difference in people’s lives. Here is what these countries need:
• Simple websites to educate the public and combat fake news;
• Collaboration tools that help people work. These tools can improve everyday work outside of
a pandemic;
• Affordable and easy-to-implement technologies (USSD or SMS-type) that help with:
o Self-diagnosis or services to ask a question and get medical advice;
o Securing the supply of consumer goods and other necessities;
o Messaging-type solutions to identify and assist communities that need extra help.
• Acquisition of terminals at low prices with integrated applications for e-learning, for example,
in countries where many people don’t have smartphones.
For category 2 countries, the objective is to improve and develop healthcare systems through medium-
and long-term programmes that streamline the medical chain, from patient care to treatment, and
including the supply of medical equipment.
Online and mobile services in healthcare, agriculture, business and education offer big steps forward
for societies and economies. Many of these technologies can be developed locally and do not require
much investment.
For category 3 countries, the first aim is to build a long-term healthcare system by setting up a
centralised and connected information system, making it possible to treat patients effectively and
gather information to make quick decisions. These are slightly more expensive solutions.
Investment for this type of country is needed in two areas:
• Recover from the pandemic by collecting better data to manage the end of the crisis and the
economic revival;
• Offer more digital services, such as online administrative services and online education.
In general, the investments can address several priorities at the same time and provide long-term help
for society and the economy, going far beyond the pandemic.
In the end, the best way to help countries adopt digital solutions might be to maximise the investment
possibilities and offer advice on rolling out solutions locally. The key is to find solutions that do the
best job of addressing the pandemic while helping society and the economy recover, improving the
outlook for future crises, and keeping investments at the minimum level required to meet countries’
needs. The European Investment Bank will keep working with Team Europe, the United Nations and
other organisations, while encouraging the development of new ideas and new investments that make
life better for everyone.

Annexes
Annex 1: Description of solutions
26 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 – Annex 1

Adopted approach
Based on documentation and information resources shared by the EIB, BearingPoint internal resources and public external resources:
1- A large panel of digital initiatives and 2- A shortlist of about 42 successful examples 3- A broader outline of specific digital
specific solutions that are already deployed in of specific digital solutions or country case solutions and country case studies.
many countries all over the world have been studies that respond to the five urgent
identified. The macro-matrix of the most priorities, particularly in African countries.
common solutions types being adopted is
shown below.
Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 – Annex 1 27

Countries all over the world are devising various digital solutions that respond to the five urgent
priorities to help contain the spread of COVID-19
A. Coordinate Loon balloons
B. Anticipate Semi-autonomous robots and drones
C. Inform Specialised
D. Cure software
E. Increase capacity Fintech Fintech
F. Support E-commerce, E-commerce, E-commerce,
G. Know produce delivery produce delivery produce delivery
I/J. Increase resilience and equipment- and equipment- and equipment
sharing platforms sharing platforms sharing platforms
E-agriculture E-agriculture E-agriculture
GIS tracking
BI BI BI
Digital responses types
Edtech solutions
Remotely Remotely Remotely
controlled devices controlled devices controlled devices
and operating and operating and operating
systems systems systems
Collaborative tools
Virtual assistants Virtual assistants
and chatbots and chatbots
Hotlines, simple Hotlines, simple
Hotlines, simple texting & USSD
texting & USSD texting & USSD
Websites and Websites and
Websites and applications
applications applications
Radio, TV and social Radio, TV and social
media media
P1.1: Set up and P1.2: Digital P1.3: Proactive P2.1: Contain the P.2.2: Prepare the P2.3: Prepare the P3.1: Secure the P3.2: Maintain the P4.1: Protect jobs: P4.2: Support most P5.1: Economy: P5.2: Short-term P5.3: Preparation
operationalisation tracking and communication epidemic: healthcare healthcare food supply: supply access to essential protecting jobs, vulnerable scenario analysis, stimulus package: for recovery:
monitoring preventive ecosystem: ecosystem: of priority products, services: health & retraining for crisis populations: social impact on economy financial stability, preparation for
measures, infrastructure, workforce pricing, tracking & education, needs safety-net and public finance helping firms "next normal"
diagnostic, testing, drugs & medical monitoring telecoms, utilities mechanisms & survive
isolation equipment distribution
Priority #3 Secure food supply Priority #4 Ensure support for Priority #5 Anticipate and manage the impact on the
Priority #1 Set up National Nerve Centre Priority #2 Anticipate and manage the health crisis
chain and essential services vulnerable populations economy
Many innovative solutions have already been adopted in African countries as a quick response to the challenges of the pandemic. Among more than 200 specific solutions
identified, we have shortlisted about 45 digital solutions and country case studies, specifically focusing on about 20 of them.
Digital solution and case study examples (1/5)
Priority #3 Secure food Priority #4 Ensure

Priority #1 Set up National Nerve Priority #2 Anticipate and manage Priority #5 Anticipate and manage
Solution examples Centre the health crisis
supply chain and support for vulnerable
the impact on the economy
essential services populations
Solution type Solution title Country Software developer P1.1 P1.2 P1.3 P2.1 P2.2 P2.3 P3.1 P3.2 P4.1 P4.2 P5.1 P5.2 P5.3
Dingtalk Worldwide Dingtalk X X
Lark Worldwide Lark X X
Hangouts Meet Worldwide Hangouts Meet X X

Collaborative
tools Teams Worldwide MS Teams X X
Skype Worldwide Skype X X
WeChat Work Worldwide WeChat Work X X
Zoom Worldwide Zoom X X
Famoco Mobile Devices Worldwide Famoco X

Remotely
controlled
devices and KaiOS – Software that
operating gives smartphone
systems capabilities to
inexpensive mobile
phones Worldwide KaiOs X X
Medical Supplies BI
Djibouti PowerBI X X X
Dashboard
BI Critical food imports BI
Djibouti PowerBI X X
Dashboard
COVID behaviour map Kenya Dataminr X
Specific focus


Covimoov France Geo4cast X
TELIA COVID-19 MOBILITY
GIS tracking Europe Telia X
ANALYSIS
TraceTogether Worldwide GovTech X
Communication SMS Worldwide Telecom actors X

Hotlines, simple
texting & USSD SMS system to identify and Worldwide, Eg :
X
support vulnerable Morocco
populations Mauritius N/A
Virtual assistants World Health
and chatbots Organization’s Health Alert
on WhatsApp Worldwide Praekelt.Orgs X X
Centralised communication France Focus:

platforms with economic Worldwide, e.g. Stonly
actors France Copernic.co X X
REDBIRD - Self assessment
app African countries REDBIRD X
Coronapp South Africa Local startup X
Websites and Teachmepad Mobile
applications Teachme Covid African countries Limited X
COVID-19 Triage Tool: self
assessment and online
medication African countries Willvis X X
COVID-19 Auto-Test: app Nunya Lab

for COVID self-assessment DARKA (local startup)
in local languages Togo Data Pop Alliance X


Local drone for Saved by tech:

sanitising public space Côte d’ivoire Drone
and spreading We Fly Agri
messages Ivory Coast Investiv X X X
Semi-
autonomous Hybrix drones by
robots and Quaternium Spain Quaternium X X X
drones Worldwide, e.g.
Zipline Drones for Rwanda
medical delivery Ghana Zipline X X
Temperature scanning
helmets Worldwide Kuang-chi technology X
Health Information
DHIS2 COVID-19 Systems Program (HISP)
tracker: healthcare the University of Oslo
software Worldwide (UiO). X
Specialised
software mHero for COVID-19:
an integrated digital
health platform for
health worker
communication and
coordination African countries mHERO X X

Mergdata - Helping Kenya & 13 other

rural farmers connect countries FarmerLine X X X
Farmafrica - Helping
rural farmers connect African countries Farmafrica X X X
E-agriculture
Apollo Agriculture -
Helping rural farmers
connect Kenya Apollo Agriculture X X X
Jumia: using e-
commerce to link
market vendors with African countries, e.g.
consumers online Uganda Focus Jumia X X X
Safe Boda - Delivery

and logistics support
E-commerce, with ride-hailing
produce delivery company Uganda SafeBoda X X X
and equipment-
sharing platforms
Freshinabox -
Vegetable sales and
delivery Zimbabwe Freshinabox X X X
The Market Garden -

Vegetable sales and The Institute for Social
delivery Uganda Transformation X X X


Cell-Ed – Learner-
centred, skills-based
learning platform with
offline options Worldwide Cell-ED X
Eneza Education -
Revision and learning
materials for basic
feature phones Worldwide Eneza Education X
Funzi – Mobile learning
service that supports
teaching and training
for large groups Worldwide Funzi X
Edtech solutions
Ubongo - Uses
entertainment, mass
media, and the
connectivity of mobile
devices to deliver
localised learning to
African families at low
cost and scale African countries Ubongo X
Kolibri - offline app for

universal education Worldwide Kolibri X
High-altitude balloons
Loon balloons to supply internet to Worldwide , e.g.
remote communities Kenya focus Loon (Google) X

Annex 2: Digital solutions case studies
# Title
1 Uganda: enable virtual government business continuity through collaborative tools
2 Famoco: remotely controlled Android devices
KaiOs: software that gives smartphone capabilities to inexpensive mobile phones and helps
3
open portals to learning opportunities
4 Djibouti: dashboard to monitor the stock of key medical supplies
5 Djibouti: commodities dashboard to monitor supply of critical food imports
Kenya: COVID behaviour map, leveraging opportunities forged in the COVID-19 crisis to deliver
6
long-term change
7 Telia: COVID-19 mobility analysis
8 Morocco: SMS system to identify and support vulnerable populations
9 Worldwide World Health Organization’s Health Alert on WhatsApp
10 France: centralised communication platforms with economic actors
11 South Africa: Coronapp , a reliable information source and self-assessment tool
12 Multi-form and multi-language awareness-raising platform to tackle COVID-19
13 Many African countries: COVID-19 triage tool for self-assessment and online medication
14 Togo: COVID-19 auto-test - COVID self-assessment in local languages application
15 Ivory Coast: drones to sanitise public spaces, spread information and take temperature
16 Rwanda and Ghana: drones for medical deliveries to rural communities
17 Worldwide: DHIS2 COVID-19 tracker, healthcare software
18 mHero, an integrated digital health platform for health worker communication and coordination
19 Uganda: Jumia using e-commerce to connect informal vendors and consumers
20 Uganda: SafeBoda, delivery and logistics support with ride-hailing company
21 Eneza Education, revision and learning materials for basic feature phones
Ubongo, entertainment, mass media, and the connectivity of mobile devices to deliver localised
22
learning
23 Kenya: high-altitude balloons to supply internet to remote communities

Uganda: enable virtual government business continuity through collaborative tools
Priorities Software developers Relevant links and contacts

P1.1: Set up and operationalisation • Zoom
• https://www.ug.undp.org/content/ugan
da/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/
2019/covid-19--undp-supports-uganda-
Partnerships
government-business-continuity-th.html
Target • UNDP Uganda
> Government employees
Countries of implementation Technology Type

> Uganda • Collaborative tools
Requirements
Description
Software & infrastructure
• UNDP has provided a collaboration tool, Zoom, and an assortment of ICT gadgets to enable virtual government business o Electricity access
continuity as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affects routine operations in several ministries, departments and agencies o Network access
as well as the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. o Internet access
• By early April, over 81 government institutions including 40 districts had key officials registered and enabled to remotely video-
conference in supporting government business continuity. Notable examples include the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office Hardware & devices
o Simple talk-and-text mobile devices
of the President, Ministry of Local Government, and Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.
o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
o TV/radio stations
Objectives
User qualifications
• Enable the Government to maintain its core functions, and to plan, coordinate, communicate and finance its response to COVID- o Ability to read and write
19 in a robust manner. o Special/technical qualifications

Famoco: remotely controlled Android devices

P1.1: Set up and operationalisation • Famoco
P2.3: Prepare the healthcare • https://www.famoco.com/
ecosystem: workforce
P3.2: Maintain access to essential
services: health & education, Partnerships
telecoms, utilities • N/A
Target
> Economic actors
> Population
Technology Type
Countries of implementation • Remotely controlled devices
> Worldwide and operating systems
Requirements
Description
Business applications on secure Android devices, remotely manageable in one SaaS platform. o Electricity access
o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Famoco offers many devices and applications types to ensure:
Hardware & devices
• Contactless payment. o Smartphone/tablet
• Transport ticket validation. o Computer
• QR code payment. o TV/radio stations
• Inventory management.
• Goods tracking. User qualifications
• Biometric customer enrollment. o Ability to read and write
• ID verification. o Special/technical qualifications

KaiOs: software that gives smartphone capabilities to inexpensive mobile phones and helps
open portals to learning opportunities

P3.2: Maintain access to essential • KaiOs
services: health & education, • KaiOS – Software that gives smartphone
telecoms, utilities capabilities to inexpensive mobile phones
and helps open portals to learning
Target Partnerships opportunities.
> Population • N/A https://www.kaiostech.com/life-the-kaios-
in-house-app-that-bridges-the-gap-to-
educational-resources-is-now-live-in-
Countries of implementation Technology Type africa/
> Worldwide • Remotely controlled devices
and operating systems
•
Requirements
Description
Open up new possibilities for individuals, organisations, and societies by bringing mobile connectivity to people without internet in o Electricity access
emerging markets, as well as providing those in established markets with an alternative to smartphones. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Through different applications, KaiOS users have access to reliable and practical information about the coronavirus disease and
prevention measures. o Smartphone/tablet
• Application that equips first-time internet users with tools and resources in digital skills, health, education, and other essential o Computer
topics now includes coronavirus-related information from UNICEF and the WHO. It also gives users access to the WHO’s o TV/radio stations
WhatsApp chatbot, which answers questions in real-time.
• Application that allows students to learn, take quizzes, complete assignments, and prepare for national exams, all on a KaiOS- User qualifications
enabled device. o Ability to read and write
o Special/technical qualifications

Djibouti: dashboard to monitor the stock of key medical supplies

P1.2: Digital tracking and monitoring • Powerbi
P.2.2: Prepare the healthcare • https://app.powerbi.com/
ecosystem: infrastructure, drugs & Partnerships
medical equipment • UNDP Djibouti
P3.2: Maintain access to essential • Gael Ollivier (Legal Specialist, TD)
services: health & education,
• Ministry of Health
telecoms, utilities • Central Medical Store
Target • Intergovernmental Authority
> Government on Development, IGAD
> Healthcare personal Technology Type
Countries of implementation • BI
> Djibouti
Requirements
Description
• Real-time COVID-19 dashboard to visualise and monitor the stock levels of the key medical supplies and equipment related to COVID-
19, and notably PPE, at a country level for the Ministry of Health and at a regional level for IGAD.
o Electricity access
o Network access
Objectives o Internet access
• Receive requests for COVID-19 supplies from all health facilities countrywide in real-time through a simplified request form that is
accessible by smartphone or PC. Hardware & devices
• Monitor and approve the quantities to be delivered and notify the dispatcher and requester. o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
o TV/radio stations
• Track the stock levels, assess trends and enable informed decision making on re-ordering levels for any specific item.
• Track stock levels in each IGAD country and facilitate coordination and swaps among countries to respond to most urgent and priority User qualifications
needs. o Ability to read and write
• The real-time COVID-19 dashboard of health products is fully automated and visible to authorised users 24/7.

Djibouti: commodities dashboard to monitor supply of critical food imports

P1.2: Digital tracking and monitoring • Powerbi
P3.1: Secure the food supply: supply • https://app.powerbi.com/
of priority products, pricing, tracking
& monitoring
• Gael Ollivier (Legal Specialist, TD)
Target Partnerships
> Government • UNDP Djibouti
• Ministry of Trade

> Djibouti • BI
Requirements
Description
• Real-time COVID-19 commodities dashboard to visualise and monitor the stock levels of the critical food imports during the Software & infrastructure
COVID-19 lockdown to meet national food consumption needs. o Electricity access
o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• This data is used by the Ministry of Trade to closely monitor market prices and support informed policy decisions.
o Smartphone/tablet
• It helps the Ministry of Trade to streamline the supply chain and ensure stability of resale prices and therefore availability of key o Computer
food items at affordable prices for the population. o TV/radio stations
User qualifications
o Ability to read and write

Kenya: COVID behaviour map, leveraging opportunities forged in the COVID-19 crisis to
deliver long-term change

P5.1: Economy: scenario analysis, • Dataminr
impact on economy and public • https://www.ke.undp.org/content/ke
finance
nya/en/home/blog/2020/leveraging-
opportunities-forged-in-the-covid-19-
Target Partnerships crisis-to-delive.html
> Government • UNDP Accelerator Lab in Kenya
• Victor Apollo, Head of Solutions
Mapping
> Kenya • BI
Requirements
Description
The UNDP Accelerator Lab in Kenya compiled a systems map showing the interrelations between effects of and responses to the Software & infrastructure
COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologically, UNDP Accelerator Lab began by casting its net wide to illuminate forces that impact how the o Electricity access
response to COVID-19 was evolving by drawing on data and stories from social media, including Twitter analytics and trending o Network access
hashtags, and tapping into the work of Dataminr and media outlets. The factors considered included people, trends, events, norms, o Internet access
beliefs, phenomena, institutions, laws and policies, focusing on those that led to both negative and positive systemic behaviours and
grouping these within defined political, economic, social, technological, educational, legal, and institutional spheres.
Objectives Hardware & devices
Innovations born of necessity during the pandemic situation have the potential to strengthen socio-economic infrastructure for the o Simple talk-and-text mobile devices
future. Below are a few examples of what could be considered as potential arising from the systems mapping exercise. o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
• Transparency and accountability: equal focus could be placed on developing open contracting platforms; helping government to
o TV/radio stations
publish the procurement details of all its medical infrastructure and new forms of social accountability to increase public voice
and participation in the process of accountability.
User qualifications
• Upscaling local production in the long-term: this would not only be a tool for inclusive growth, but also a weapon in the fight
against climate change if intercontinental transport is reduced.
• Access to formal justice system: the crisis could act as a tipping point to encourage the judiciary and other arms of government
to rethink their approach to technology and to see how it can be used to provide a more engaging and inclusive experience for
their stakeholders.

Telia: COVID-19 mobility analysis

P1.2: Digital tracking and • Telia
monitoring • https://www.ug.undp.org/content/ugan
da/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/
2019/covid-19--undp-supports-uganda-
Target Partnerships
government-business-continuity-th.html
> Government • N/A

> Europe • GIS Tracking
Requirements
Description
As national authorities around the world take on the COVID-19 pandemic, they face the universal challenge of trying to make the o Electricity access
best possible public health decisions - based on evidence and data. One measure taken everywhere is to stay in the area where you o Network access
live and travel restrictions have been put in place to different extents. To be able to stay on top of how these restrictions are working o Internet access
out, national authorities across the Nordics and Estonia have been seeking up-to-date data about people’s travel patterns.

o Smartphone/tablet
A commercial service analysing anonymised and aggregated mobile network data which provides a way to understand grouped o Computer
movement behaviour in society, such as travel patterns. o TV/radio stations
User qualifications

Morocco: SMS system to identify and support vulnerable populations

P4.2: Support most vulnerable • TBD
populations: social safety-net • https://ledesk.ma/2020/03/30/exclusif-
mechanisms & distribution Partnerships voici-comment-laide-de-subsistance-aux-
• Moroccan government menages-sera-distribuee/
• Moroccan telecom companies
Target
• Banks and money transfer
> Government
companies
> Population
Technology Type
Countries of implementation
• Hotlines, simple texting & USSD
> Morocco
Description Requirements
Software & Infrastructure

• Identification and distribution of financial aid for vulnerable populations and informal workers, via a simple SMS system.
o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
• Identify vulnerable populations eligible for financial aid by sending their affiliation numbers via SMS. Hardware & devices
o Smartphone/tablet
• Communicate via SMS with vulnerable populations to inform them about withdrawal points near there locations, taking social o Computer
distancing into consideration. o TV/radio stations
User qualifications

Worldwide World Health Organization’s Health Alert on WhatsApp

P1.3: Proactive communication • Praekelt.Orgs
P2.1: Contain the epidemic: • https://www.praekelt.org/onboarding-
preventive measures, diagnostic, form
testing, isolation Partnerships
• World Health Organization • https://www.praekelt.org/
• WhatsApp • https://www.whatsapp.com/coronavirus/
Countries of implementation (examples) • Facebook who
 South Africa  Ethiopia
Technology Type Target
 New Zealand  Bangladesh
• Virtual assistants and > Population
 Australia  Madagascar
 Mozambique  Timor-Leste chatbots
 Uganda
Requirements
Description
• WHO has launched a dedicated messaging services in 11 languages in partnership with WhatsApp and Facebook to keep people Software & infrastructure
safe from coronavirus. This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to reach 2 billion people and enables WHO to get o Electricity access
information directly into the hands of the people that need it. This solution can be adapted to countries’ local contexts. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices

• WhatsApp-based helpline to support users on queries/concerns and direct them to accurate information sources.
o Smartphone/tablet
• Automated responses provide answers to the most frequently asked questions. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
• Machine learning and natural language understanding enable automatic triage to help manage conversations at scale.
User qualifications
• Serving government decision-makers by providing the latest numbers and situation reports. o Ability to read and write

France: centralised communication platforms with economic actors

P1.3: Proactive communication • Stonly • https://info-entreprises-
P5.2: Short-term stimulus package: • Copernic.com covid19.economie.gouv.fr/kb/fr/finance
financial stability, helping firms
ment-8233
survive
Target Partnerships
> Economic actors • French Ministry of Finance &
Economy

> France • Websites and application
Requirements
Description
• The French Ministry of Finance and Economy, in partnership with Stonly and Copernic startups, has launched an online support o Electricity access
and communication tool for economic actors. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Centralised and reliable communication about governmental initiatives to support economic actors. o Smartphone/tablet
• Open forum for questions. o Computer
• Online financial assessment tool. o TV/radio stations
• Access to financial support and aids.
User qualifications

South Africa: Coronapp , a reliable information source and
self-assessment tool

P2.1: Contain the epidemic: • Local startup
preventive measures, diagnostic, • https://www.coronapp.co.za/https://
testing, isolation
www.coronapp.co.za/
Target Partnerships
> Population • N/A

> South Africa • Websites and applications
Requirements
Description
• Coronapp is a centralised repository for relevant and accurate information regarding the COVID-19 virus in South Africa. Its o Electricity access
purpose is to make reliable information highly accessible to South Africans to help people and prevent panic. The information o Network access
published is collected from government and health authorities. o Internet access
Hardware & devices

Objectives
o Smartphone/tablet
• Provide reliable and verified access to information and statistics about regional and national COVID-19 evolution. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
• Provide quick self assessment and link with emergency services and WhatsApp support.
User qualifications

Multi-form and multi-language awareness-raising platform
to tackle COVID-19

P2.1: Contain the epidemic: • Teachmepad Mobile
preventive measures, diagnostic, Limited • https://www.teachmecovid.com/
testing, isolation
Partnerships
• UNDP
Target
> Population Technology Type
• Websites and applications
> Cameroon & other African countries
Requirements
Description
• Multi-form & multi-language awareness-raising platform to tackle COVID-19. Software & infrastructure
o Network access
Objectives o Internet access
• Provide information about useful emergency numbers in different African countries.

Hardware & devices
• Provide information about the health situation in countries in local languages via SMS. o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
• Free access to prevention audio and video sports in more than nine local languages. o TV/radio stations
User qualifications

Many African countries: COVID-19 triage tool for self-assessment and
online medication

P2.1: Contain the epidemic: • Wellvis
preventive measures, diagnostic, • http://covid19.wellvis.org/
testing, isolation
P3.2: Maintain access to essential
services: health & education, Partnerships
telecoms, utilities • N/A
Target
> Population * Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso,
> Healthcare personal Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast,
Technology Type Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,
Countries of implementation Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo,
> 16 African countries* • Websites and applications
Gambia
Requirements
Description
• Wellvis app is an application that allows users to self-assess their coronavirus risk category based on their symptoms and Software & infrastructure
exposure history in a free way. The application also allows digital healthcare appointments that can be payed online. o Electricity access
o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Assess how many individuals in a geographical location are at high, medium, and low risk levels of contracting COVID-19.
• Provide data for contact tracing of individuals who present a high risk. o Smartphone/tablet
• Provide support for planned testing of individuals in an identified high-risk location. o Computer
• Provide the required safety education and reassurance. o TV/radio stations
• Connect users to doctors for virtual private chat.
User qualifications

Togo: COVID-19 auto-test - COVID self-assessment in local languages application

P2.1: Contain the epidemic: • Nunya Lab
preventive measures, diagnostic, • DARKA (local startup) • https://covid19-
testing, isolation
• Data Pop Alliance check.smspro.tg/web/starter/replay
• Yawo Agnigbankou (Head of

Target Partnerships Experimentation, TG)
> Population • UNDP Togo
• Komi Ognadon Aokou (Head of
Countries of implementation Technology Type Exploration, TG)
> Togo • Websites and applications
Requirements
Description
• COVID-19 auto-test app is in application implemented in Togo, based on local languages with GIS in which users give answers to Software & infrastructure
some basic questions on their health (temperature, travel status, etc.). The app is currently being completed with tracking codes o Electricity access
which allows the creation, via an application, of a completely anonymous database on the social interactions of individuals. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• In the event symptoms are revealed through answers, the user is advised to call "111“, which is the official line for COVID-19 to
be diagnosed. The GIS allows the user to be located.
o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
• A social interaction is marked by retrieving the public identification code associated with another user, and by recording the pair o TV/radio stations
of QR codes, with associated information such as the date, and possibly the GIS position. It can be operated via Bluetooth scan,
WiFi, audio or QR code optical recognition. It makes it possible to find people in contact with positive cases quickly and easily .
User qualifications
• The solution will help analyse the Togolese perception of the disease through mobile phone surveys and make projections on o Special/technical qualifications
possible new cases; analyse the impact of the measures taken so far by the government on the living conditions of the poorest;
locate the most vulnerable; and anticipate from the data the effects of support and recovery measures.

Côte d’Ivoire Drone
We Fly Agri
Ivory Coast: drones to sanitise public spaces, spread information and take temperature Investiv

P1.3: Proactive communication • Côte d’Ivoire Drone
P2.1: Contain the epidemic: preventive
measures, diagnostic, testing, isolation
• We Fly Agri • https://afrique.le360.ma/cote-
P.2.2: Prepare the healthcare ecosystem: • Investiv divoire/societe/2020/04/10/30155-cote-
infrastructure, drugs & medical divoire-coronavirus-des-drones-concus-
equipment
par-un-marocain-mobilises-contre-le-
Target Partnerships covid-19
> Government • N/A
> Population • Marouane Jebbar – “Côte d’ivoire
Countries of implementation Technology Type Drone” - CEO
> Ivory Coast • Semi-autonomous robots and
drones
Requirements
Description
• “Saved by tech” is an Ivoirian foundation led by three leading local companies specialised in drone design. It has developed three o Electricity access
types of drone for specific uses to tackle COVID-19. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Spread pre-recorded or live messages from the sky on how to prevent coronavirus infection in rural aeras. o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
• Measure temperature using a thermic camera. o TV/radio stations
• Transport about 30 litres of liquid solution to sanitise public spaces. User qualifications

Rwanda and Ghana: drones for medical deliveries to rural communities

P2.1: Contain the epidemic: preventive • Zipline
measures, diagnostic, testing, isolation • https://flyzipline.com/covid-19/
P.2.2: Prepare the healthcare ecosystem:
infrastructure, drugs & medical
equipment • https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-
Partnerships
Target pandemic/ghana-drones-help-combat-
• Local governments
> Population covid-19
> Healthcare personal
• [email protected]
> Rwanda • Semi-autonomous robots and
> Ghana drones
Requirements
Description
• Already used for supplying blood to a network of 21 remotely located transfusion clinics in Rwanda and carrying more than 35% o Electricity access
of Rwanda’s blood supply, Zipline high speed drones are being used to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering vital packages o Network access
to clinics and hospitals over up to 85 km in Ghana and Rwanda, in about one-third the time it would take by car. o Internet access

• Reduce unnecessary hospital visits and lower the risk of exposure for non-infected patients by extending the reach of the o Smartphone/tablet
healthcare system to areas closer to their home. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
• Deliver medical supplies to hospitals, clinics, healthcare workers or directly to patients.

User qualifications
• Carry samples from suspected coronavirus patients to labs in Ghana’s and Rwanda’s big cities, allowing the government to more o Special/technical qualifications
quickly monitor the spread of COVID-19.

Worldwide: DHIS2 COVID-19 tracker, healthcare software

P1.2: Digital tracking and • Health Information Systems
monitoring Program (HISP) • https://www.dhis2.org/development
• University of Oslo (UiO).
Partnerships • [email protected].
Target • UNDP
> Government • World Health Organization (WHO)
> Healthcare personal • Ministry of Health
> Operational in 21 countries all over • Specialised software
the world
> In development in 26 countries
Requirements
Description
• District Health Information 2 is the world's largest HMIS platform, in use by 67 low and middle-income countries. 2.3 billion Software & infrastructure
people live in countries where DHIS2 is used. DHIS2 has released a digital data package offering five main functionalities, to o Electricity access
accelerate case detection, situation reporting, active surveillance and response for COVID-19: o Network access
o COVID-19 case-based surveillance [tracker]. o Internet access
o Contact registration & follow-up programme [tracker].
o Ports of Entry screening & follow-up programme [tracker].
Hardware & devices
o COVID-19 surveillance event programme [event].
o COVID-19 aggregate surveillance [aggregate]. o Smartphone/tablet
• Most solutions work-offline, enabling improved reach in locations with poor connectivity. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
Objectives
• Improve information use in countries. User qualifications
• Simplify support if there are standard solutions. o Ability to read and write
• Reporting on key indicators. o Special/technical qualifications
• Avoid reinventing the wheel in each country.
• Integrate disease programmes into (often) Health Management Information-run systems.

mHero, an integrated digital health platform for health worker
communication and coordination

P1.3: Proactive communication • mHero
P2.3: Prepare the healthcare
• https://www.mhero.org/faq#smart
ecosystem: workforce
Partnerships
• IntraHealth International • https://www.mhero.org/sites/mhero/files/
Target • UNICEF mherobrochureenglish2018.pdf
> Healthcare personal • USAID
> Sierra Leonne > Liberia Technology Type
> Uganda > Mali • Specialised software
> Guinea
Requirements
Description
• mHero is a system that connects health workers to health officials, to each other, and to critical information that can save lives, Software & infrastructure
using the basic mobile phones that most health workers already have. The platform facilitates two-way communication using o Electricity access
SMS messages to get critical information to frontline health workers in real time. Initially launched to address the Ebola crisis in o Network access
2014 by a consortium led by IntraHealth International and UNICEF, mHero offers ministries of health and health workers a o Internet access
trusted channel of communication on a broad range of health services, including primary care, maternal and child health, family
planning, HIV, malaria, nutrition and disease surveillance.
Hardware & devices
Objectives o Simple talk-and-text mobile devices
o Smartphone/tablet
• Coordinate health promotion strategies and public health emergency responses.
o Computer
• Train health workers on infection prevention and control and risk communication. o TV/radio stations
• Test health worker knowledge of COVID-19 responses through mini-quizzes.
• Report suspected COVID-19 cases and other high-priority diseases.
User qualifications
• Relay unanticipated stock outs of essential commodities such as sterile gloves, masks, and respirators. o Ability to read and write
• Reveal local health and safety concerns, including mental health and physical risks. o Special/technical qualifications

Uganda: Jumia using e-commerce to connect informal vendors and consumers

P3.1: Secure the food supply: supply of • Jumia
priority products, pricing, tracking & • https://group.jumia.com/covid-19-undp-
monitoring jumia-uganda-partner-to-link-market-
P4.1: Protect jobs: protecting jobs, Partnerships
retraining for crisis needs
vendors-with-consumers-online/
• UNDP Uganda
P5.3: Preparation for recovery:
preparation for "next normal" • Michael Mubangizi, Communications
Target Analyst, UNDP Uganda Email:
> Population [email protected],
> SMEs Technology Type
• Tel: 0772147564
• E-commerce, produce delivery
> Uganda and equipment sharing
platforms
Requirements
Description
• The UNDP in partnership with Jumia Uganda, have launched an online platform – to enable small and medium enterprises to Software & infrastructure
connect with consumers to sustain livelihoods in view of restrictions on movement, stay at home measures and social distancing o Electricity access
guidelines which were instituted as part of the measures to curtail further transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) o Network access
pandemic. Jumia Food will avail of its dedicated ordering platform via app and website that includes a last-mile distribution o Internet access
network, diverse set of payment methods, quality assurance, facilitation of training for the vendors, and growth marketing.
• UNDP will provide smartphones, airtime, and data to be used by the market vendors.
Hardware & devices
Objectives
o Smartphone/tablet
• Provide the informal sector and SMEs solutions to keep running and reaching customers during the COVID-19 crisis. o Computer
• Connect rural farmers with the urban market, keeping the supply chain for agricultural produce active and providing employment o TV/radio stations
and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 on the economy.
• Reduce congestion in the markets and traffic jams around these markets and hence not only reducing the risk around spreading
User qualifications
the virus, but also increasing convenience of shopping o Ability to read and write
• For the initial six months, the innovation will benefit vendors in five markets: Nakasero, Nakawa, Wandegeya, Bugolobi, and o Special/technical qualifications
Kalerwe, all in Kampala city.

Uganda: SafeBoda, delivery and logistics support with ride-hailing company

P3.1: Secure the food supply: supply of • SafeBoda
priority products, pricing, tracking & • https://www.uncdf.org/article/5577/uncdf-
monitoring
P4.1: Protect jobs: protecting jobs,
and-safeboda-launch-an-e-commerce-
Partnerships platform-for-food-and-grocery-home-
retraining for crisis needs • UNCDF
P5.3: Preparation for recovery: delivery-amid-covid-19-and-beyond
preparation for "next normal"
• Kampala Capital City Authority • https://safeboda.com/ng/index.php#howit
Target • Ministry of Kampala works
> Population Technology Type
> SMEs • E-commerce, produce delivery • Rachael Kentenyingi - Knowledge
Countries of implementation and equipment sharing Management and Communications
> Uganda • [email protected]
platforms
Description Requirements
• Targeting an initial 800 market vendors, this e-commerce platform is connecting the market vendors to households that need a
range of supplies by using the preexisting reliable SafeBoda transport service.
• Through this partnership, UNCDF and SafeBoda will provide 800 market vendors access to the SafeBoda app, whereby they can
o Network access
sell their produce while creating and maintaining the livelihoods of the 18 000 SafeBoda riders whose source of income has been o Internet access
affected by the ban on public transport.

• Catalyse the growth of the digital economy in Uganda by empowering populations to go digital and access previously out-of- o Simple talk-and-text mobile devices
reach digital solutions that can help keep their businesses afloat, whilst ensuring that households do not run out of food supplies o Smartphone/tablet
– particularly with the temporary ban on public transport due to the coronavirus mitigation lockdown. o Computer
• Catalyse enterprise innovation and investment that will spur small businesses and consumers to embrace digital platforms in o TV/radio stations
their daily lives, which will in turn drive growth and sustainability.
• The partnership will also look to leverage SafeBoda’s riders and user base to share vital information and safety practices about User qualifications
COVID-19. This will enable a projected average of 50 000 customers to be reached daily with food and goods delivery. o Ability to read and write
• After COVID-19, it is envisaged that customers will continue to use digital platforms after experiencing the convenience and o Special/technical qualifications
quality service of the SafeBoda e-commerce platform, which will increase inclusion and bolster resilience for similar future shocks
and stresses.

Eneza Education, revision and learning materials for basic feature phones

P3.2: Maintain access to essential • Eneza education
services: health & education, • https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationre
telecoms, utilities Partnerships
sponse/nationalresponses#AFRICA
• UNESCO
• Local telecom compagnies
Target • https://enezaeducation.com/
> Population (students)

> Kenya • Edtech
> Ghana
> Ivory Coast
Requirements
Description
• Learning solution for basic phones via USSD & texting messages, for students from 6 to 18 years old with dedicated content. o Electricity access
o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Ensure free and large access to education for students in lockdown situations through basic phones.
o Smartphone/tablet
• Ensure access to education for students in rural areas with difficult access to schools, even without the lockdown situation. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
User qualifications

Ubongo, entertainment, mass media, and the connectivity of mobile devices
to deliver localised learning

P3.2: Maintain access to • Ubango
essential services: health & • https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationre
Partnerships
education, telecoms, utilities sponse/nationalresponses#AFRICA
• UNESCO
Target • Other
> Population (students) • https://www.ubongo.org/

> Several African countries: • Edtech
Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria,
Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania,
Uganda and Zambia.
Requirements
Description
• As Africa's leading edutainment company, Ubongo creates fun, localised and multi-platform educational media that reaches o Electricity access
millions of families through accessible technologies. o Network access
o Internet access
Objectives
Hardware & devices
• Improve school readiness and learning outcomes for kids, and promote social and behavioral change for kids, caregivers and o Smartphone/tablet
educators. o Computer
o TV/radio stations
• Ensure free and large-scale access to education for students in lockdown situations through basic phones.
User qualifications
• Ensure access to education for students in rural areas with difficult access to schools, even without the lockdown situation. o Ability to read and write

Kenya: high-altitude balloons to supply internet to remote communities

P3.2: Maintain access to • Alphabet Inc
essential services: health & • https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/ne
education, telecoms, utilities ws_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_sit
e/news+and+events/news/insights/telkom-
Target Partnerships kenya
> Population • Telkom Kenya
• Government of Kenya • https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edut
ech/brief/how-countries-are-using-edtech-
to-support-remote-learning-during-the-
> Kenya • Loon balloons
covid-19-pandemic
Requirements
Description
• Balloons – floating cell sites equipped to offer 4G connectivity to about 25 million Kenyans who lack coverage. Because each o Electricity access
internet-enabled balloon covers a large area – roughly 30 times greater than a ground-based system – Loon can provide service o Network access
to traditionally hard-to-reach or underserved regions. Loon’s balloons work by beaming internet connectivity from ground o Internet access
stations to a balloon 20 km overhead. The signal is then sent across multiple balloons, creating a network of floating cell sites that
deliver connectivity directly to a user’s phone handset, router, or dongle.
Hardware & devices
Objectives o Simple talk-and-text mobile devices
o Smartphone/tablet
o Computer
• Ensure access to internet in rural areas. o TV/radio stations
• Ensure education continuity for students during lockdown.
• Enable the connection of remote health clinics to the country’s national referral hospitals, other medical facilities, and emergency
User qualifications
services. o Ability to read and write

Annex 3: Countries surveyed
Country Questionnaire Interview conducted
Angola x
Benin x
Central African Republic x
Chad x
Comoros x
Republic of Congo x x
Djibouti x
Equatorial Guinea x
Eswatini x
Ethiopia x x
Gambia x x
Guinea x
Kenya x
Lesotho x
Liberia x
Mali x
Mauritania x
Mauritius x
Morocco x
Mozambique x
Niger x x
Nigeria x
Rwanda x
Senegal x x
Sierra Leone x
South Africa x
South Sudan x
Togo x
Tunisia x
Uganda x
Zimbabwe x

Annex 4: Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all participants in this study. They spent time giving us valuable information
during an interview or in a questionnaire. The views they expressed do not necessarily reflect the
positions of their institution.
• François Abandza – Congo-Brazzaville – Managing Director of Technological Innovation,

Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation
• Abdou Ambarka – Benin – ICT Head, Sèmè City
• Mohamed Assoweh – Djibouti – General Director, Djibouti Telecom
• Claude Borna – Benin – General Director of Sèmè City and initiator of the Task Force INNOV
COVID-19
• Abdallah Diallo – Senegal – Smart Territory Manager, State IT Agency
• Melanio Ebendeng Oyana – Equatorial Guinea – General Director, National Center for
Informatisation of Public Administration in Equatorial Guinea (CNIAPGE)
• Alagie Fadera – Gambia – Directorate of Development Planning, Ministry of Finance and
Economic Affairs
• André Gandala – Chad – Director of Communication, Ministry of the Post and New Information
Technologies
• Jone Heitor – Angola – National Director for the Development of Technological Innovation and
University Professor, Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation
• Dr Behailu Kassaye – Ethiopia
• Rouffahi Koabo – Niger – General Director, CIPMEN (Centre Incubateur des Petites et
Moyennes Entreprises du Niger – Niger Small and Medium Enterprises Incubator Centre)
• Rym Jarou – Tunisia – CEO of “Smart Tunisia”, Ministry of ICT and Digital Transformation
• HE Cina Lawson – Togo – Minister of Posts, Digital Economy and Technological Innovation
• Aminetou Bowba MBareck – Mauritania – President, Réseau des Jeunes Scientifiques
Mauritaniens (Mauritanian Young Scientists Network)
• Jean M'Boliguipa – Central African Republic – University Professor, Bangui University
• Luc Missidimbazi – Congo-Brazzaville – Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Adviser, Prime
Minister's Office
• Farhan Mohamed Bouh – Djibouti – Digital Strategy Consultant, Djibouti Telecom
• Sidi Mohamed Drissi Melyani – Morocco – General Director, Agence du Développement Digital
(Digital Development Agency)
• Shandrai Mugari – Zimbabwe – Deputy Director Innovation & Development, Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education
• Angelos Munezero – Rwanda – Director General of Innovation and Business Development
Department, Ministry of ICT and Innovation
• Chamsoudine Mzaouiyani – Comoros – General Director, ANADEN (Agence Nationale de
Développement du Numérique - National Digital Development Agency)
• Bonga Ndlangamandla – Eswatini – Executive Director, eGovernment Unit within the Prime
Minister’s Office
• Eric NDoumba – Congo-Brazzaville – Adviser to the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and
New Technologies
• Amadou Nyang – Gambia – Ministry of Information Communication Infrastructure
• Ronald Osumba – Kenya – CEO, iGov Africa
• Cassandre Pignon – Senegal - West Africa Regional Director, IDinsight
• Guy Rozenblum – Guinea – General Director, SkyVision Guinea

• Mohamed Lemine Salihi – Mauritania – General Direction of Information and Communication
Technologies, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Information and
Communication Technologies (MESRSTIC)
• Mouhamed Tidiane Seck – Senegal – Coordinator, Technical Committee DANNCOVID19
• David Moinina Sengeh – Sierra Leone – Chief Innovation Officer, Directorate of Science,
Technology, and Innovation
• Eyob Tesfaye – Ethiopia – Program Director Financial Inclusion, UN Capital Development Fund
Ethiopia
• Tuminsang Thabela – Zimbabwe – Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Head of
Ministry and Permanent Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education

Africa’s digital solutions
to tackle COVID-19
July 2020
European Investment Bank

98 -100, boulevard Konrad Adenauer
L-2950 Luxembourg
3 +352 4379-22000
www.eib.org – U [email protected]
© European Investment Bank, 07/2020 EN
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pdf: QH-02-20-541-EN-N ISBN 978-92-861-4717-3 DOI 10.2867/690603

1 See list of countries in Annex 3.

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 1

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 3

4 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 5

6 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 7

8 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 9

Digital solutions offered right now

Priority 1 – Information, risk communication and geolocation of cases

10 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Case study on Msafari, Kenya

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 11

12 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Self-assessment solutions – unstructured supplementary service data

Drones and robots

15 See solution 12 in Annex 2.

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 13

19 See solution 18 in Annex 2.

14 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

E-commerce purchase and delivery platforms

21 See solution 19 in Annex 2.

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 15

Government monitoring dashboards

Priority 4 – Protection of vulnerable populations

25 See solution 4 in Annex 2.

16 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Priority 5 – Anticipate the impact on society and the economy

28 See solution 6 in Annex 2.

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 17

First of all, the majority of the surveyed countries have set up

• Communication of official information to populations via e-government platforms or mobile

• Continued access to essential services

18 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

% of countries interviewed by category

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 19

Source - World Bank Development Indicators

20 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 21

These countries have demonstrated a strong ability to

22 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 23

Category Countries Estimates

24 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 25

26 Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 – Annex 1

Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19 – Annex 1 27

Priority #3 Secure food Priority #4 Ensure

Dingtalk Worldwide Dingtalk X X

Lark Worldwide Lark X X

Hangouts Meet Worldwide Hangouts Meet X X

Skype Worldwide Skype X X

WeChat Work Worldwide WeChat Work X X