HealthBuddy+ is a multilingual interactive solution developed by the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the WHO Regional Office for Europe to provide access to up-to-date and evidence-based information on coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It is available as web- and mobile-based application. The application uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to answer questions and concerns about COVID-19 from users of all age groups. It consists of three features:
- a chatbot, which can be used to ask questions and access information on COVID-19;
- a rumour reporting tool to which users can report misleading information that will be fact-checked against accurate information and reported to a central system, and to help users take part in mitigating effects of the infodemic by reporting commonly circulating rumours in their area/language; and
- a polling system in which users can share their opinions and experiences related to the pandemic, which helps the project team to identify and address emerging issues in a timely manner.
The content is continuously updated to reflect new findings about the virus, and public health and social measures. Furthermore, the application is available for adaptation to national authorities in the WHO European Region, which enables them to embed the chatbot on their preferred messaging platforms as well as contribute locally relevant information such as hotline numbers, links to referral services for mental health, and so on. This also equips the local COVID-19 pandemic response authorities with real-time social listening and user data to identify information gaps and adjust their responses accordingly. The application is available in 20 languages from the WHO European Region.
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