More people in Africa are set to have better access to information on health and education in a new partnership between Bharti Airtel and UNICEF that is set to improve the lives of people in the continent by tapping various innovations.
UNICEF will use Airtel’s mobile services to subscribers in the 17 African countries that the telecom is present, to relay information on health issues and education as well as allow more people to have free access to mobile applications and services that have been developed by UNICEF.
Solutions by UNICEF include eduTrac that is used to communicated on matters education, mTrac and U-report, will all aimed at improving the quality of life for children and the youth in Africa so they can become better people and society changers.
People set to benefit from this new collaboration will be those in the East African region, the Southern that include Malawi, Madagascar, Zambia and Sychelles, in West and Central Africa where Airtel covers Nigeria, Niger, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, DRC, Chad and Burkina Faso.
“Access to information is a basic human right, and is fundamental to UNICEF’s innovation agenda. Without access to information children and young people are stifled and cannot make the right decisions concerning them,” said Sharad Sapara, Director of UNICEF’s Innovation Centre in Nairobi.
UNICEF believes the partnership will help improve connectivity to millions of African children and the youth who will then be empowered with opportunities to help them become agents of change in their communities.
Airtel continues to demonstrate its commitment to its customers through multiple initiatives that the telecom is unveiling and becoming part of every now and then, especially in 2015 where Kenya has been abuzz with new projects.
“Airtel is committed to providing innovative solutions that overcome access and quality challenges around the delivery of services. Our partnership with UNICEF provides an opportunity to deploy mHealth innovations that can support healthcare systems,” said Christian de Faria, Airtel Africa’s CEO.
