Separating facts from falsehoods in pandemic times

Gustav Praekelt

A key feature of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the abundance of information related to the virus. As we have seen, this information has often been false and harmful. False information tends to spread widely and at speed, making it more difficult to separate facts from falsehoods. This is why technologist Gustav Praekelt and his team, working with the Department of Health in South Africa, created Health Alert. Health Alert is a real-time, safe, and secure WhatsApp-based platform designed to provide accurate information to every citizen in South Africa. The service has been a resounding success.

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Gustav is the founder and chairman of Praekelt Group - a leader in the use of open source mobile technologies to deliver inclusive services. His belief in the power of mobile phones to transform lives inspired him to establish the Praekelt.org in 2006 - a social enterprise whose programmes have reached over 100 million people across 30 countries in Africa.