WhatsApp Launches Information Hub And Donates Rs 7.4 Crore To Provide Reliable COVID-19 Info For All Of Us

Dhir Acharya - Mar 19, 2020

Tech giants around the world are taking actions to help us cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and WhatsApp is joining hands too.

On Wednesday, WhatsApp announced WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub, a dedicated webpage that’s created in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP, with the aim of highlighting how the popular messaging platform can help during the COVID-19 outbreak around the world.

Not just that, WhatsApp also announced to donate Rs 7.44 crore to Poynter Institute’s IFNC (International Fact-Checking Network) to remove coronavirus-related fake news spreading online.

The information hub is said to provide guidance for various local governments, local businesses, non-profit organizations, community leaders, educators, and health workers who are communicating on WhatsApp on a daily basis. It highlights how users can keep in touch with their loved ones using the app for texting, voice calls, and video calls. Besides, the webpage tells users to consider carefully before sharing messages to limit rumors on the platform.

Apart from those, the website provides users with resources and tips to get information about the outbreak as well as to read the latest guidelines from WHO or national health ministries across the globe. Also, there are pointers specifically for local businesses, local governments, NGOs, educators, and healthcare professionals so that they can remain connected with their peers virtually. And the webpage supports various languages including Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi.

Group chat helps people stay in touch during the pandemic

Not just showing information about COVID-19, WhatsApp is also working with UNICEF and WHO to create hotlines to provide people with info about the pandemic. The firm seems to have offered factual info in partnership with NGOs and national health ministries to people through texts in Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, Israel, Singapore, among other countries.

In separated news, the company announced a Rs 7.44 crore grant to support fact-checking for the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance spanning more than 100 local organizations across about 45 countries across the globe. The grant will be used to train for using features in WhatsApp Business.