What is COVIDHQ AFRICA – The New Platform about COVID-19?

COVIDHQ Africa is a new digital platform providing African perspectives and narratives of how Africa is navigating the pandemic. As the continent rolls out COVID-19 vaccinations amid lingering misinformation, the platform’s role has become increasingly key. Find out more.

COVIDHQ Africa , driven by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Zain Verjee Group, COVIDHQ Africa is a platform where Africans are documenting and sharing their experiences with COVID-19, including vaccination rollouts, as well as the knock-on effects of lockdowns and restrictions.

“Early in the pandemic, we realized that misinformation could be just as detrimental as the disease itself,” says Dr. John Nkengasong Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation on COVIDHQ Africa.

“It is vital that we provide citizens across the continent with factual information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines from trusted public health sources in Africa.” Dr John Nkengasong

“This remains true even now, as we roll out vaccines and vaccination campaigns that depend on public understanding and trust. It is vital that we provide citizens across the continent with factual information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines from trusted public health sources in Africa,” he added.

The writers, thought leaders, artists, and activists featured on the platform (mostly young people) speak openly and honestly about their struggles during the pandemic, as well as the ways in which they are learning to innovate and practice resilience.

They tackle a range of issues—mental health, love and relationships, climate change, vaccine equity—through a variety of mediums, including personal testimonials, poetry, satire, video diaries, and opinion editorials. The result is a nuanced, vibrant, and colourful narrative of how Africa is navigating a once-in-a-generation pandemic.

“Stories are powerful,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, adding: “Storytelling is a rich part of Africa’s history. This platform was built for individuals, particularly young people, to tell their stories—and offers the world an opportunity to listen and learn.

“Storytelling is a rich part of Africa’s history. This platform was built for individuals, particularly young people, to tell their stories,” Reeta Roy

“It is also a trusted, online resource that provides relevant facts and public health information about COVID-19 in a dynamic landscape,” she further explains.

According to Zain Verjee, Founder and CEO of Zain Verjee Group, the platform is a place where Africans can obtain relevant information about COVID-19, as well as feel empowered by the stories of accomplishment and survival in the face of significant adversity.

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“This platform was designed and built to inform and inspire,” Zain Verjee

“We want to deal openly with tough stories like depression and mental health, in addition to highlighting positive solutions and innovations, and the latest updates on vaccines in Africa. This platform was designed and built to inform and inspire,” she says. 

Alongside being a repository of stories, the online platform seeks to be a one-stop source for COVID-19 information across the continent. It provides up-to- date data on COVID-19 cases in Africa, sourced directly from the WHO, as well as the latest information on preventative health practices, and responses to frequently asked questions about vaccines.

Public health experts in Africa have stressed the importance of ensuring communities on the continent have access to accurate information on COVID-19 and vaccines, and warned about the risks that misinformation poses to effective public health responses.

COVIDHQ Africa is part of a broader public awareness campaign that is being carried out by the Mastercard Foundation. The campaign aims to deliver accurate, timely, and life-saving information on COVID-19 across African countries and communities.

Individuals who would like to contribute their stories to COVIDHQ Africa can do so by visiting the site.