Telkom Kenya said it will provide technical support for the rollout of a dynamic health platform, Afya Rekod, designed to provide information on COVID-19 infection numbers and related analysis.

Touted as a first-of-its-kind technology solution for Kenya, the platform uses blockchain and artificial intelligence to gather and analyse data.

It visualises data via heat maps to display affected regions in order to offer healthcare workers comprehensive real-time data and actionable intelligence.

The platform has been introduced as Kenya readies to conduct wide-scale mass testing across the country.

As of 5 May 2020 the East African country recorded 581 COVID-19 positive cases, with 27 deaths. Over 190 people have recovered from the illness.

A statement from Telkom Kenya reads: “This platform converts structured and unstructured data to global health data record-keeping, using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and other international standards. The Afya Rekod platform will essentially provide a virtual repository for individuals to store their health data in real-time.”

According to Afya Rekod, the decentralised nature of their applications will enable health workers to update their records, anytime, anywhere and in multiple formats.

Founder and CEO of Afya Rekod, John Kamara said: “Lack of patient data in real-time makes it hard to curb disease and more so a virus such as COVID-19, whose cure and vaccine are still being sought. The application is being launched at a crucial time when the world is experiencing one of the biggest pandemics in generations and we need to monitor the movement and evolution of the virus closely to determine, among other things, the changing nature of symptoms.”

Telkom Kenya will also host the application in a virtual environment while enabling an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) number *380# for feature phone users.

The service can also be accessed through its mobile app.

Telkom Kenya CEO Mugo Kibati said: “One of the most critical issues during this period will be how quickly health workers are upskilled and kept well informed on how they can best support patients and also protect themselves in the process. Quick adoption of technology platforms such as the one offered by Afya Rekod, therefore, is vital towards this fight against COVID-19.”