Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:17
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By Fathima Riznaz Hafi
A new app has been introduced to get the public more involved in the battle against dengue.
The ‘Mo-Buzz’ app enables quick access for the public to report places where they detect dengue breeding vessels. They can take pictures on their smartphone and share the information instantly with the relevant authorities who can then take immediate action.
“By geotagging, users can provide location-specific information from their device; they can reveal the place where the dengue breeding grounds were spotted. Within a split of a second, that information can be passed to me and it can be tracked back because the exact location is given by the coordinate,” CMC Public Health Department Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni told the Daily FT yesterday.
The need for this app surfaced when the CMC noted the benefit of the public being actively engaged in this venture. “When dengue cases come up they blame the authorities. The participation of the community is of paramount importance,” he said.
This participation had not been easy in the past because people couldn’t get their information across to the relevant authorities quickly and communication was a hassle. Discussions were held with the University of Nanyang, Singapore who came up with this web-based solution.
“The app can be downloaded free of charge from play store. The person must have a smartphone and internet access and just has to type ‘Mo-Buzz’,” he explained.
“This is much easier than the conventional method. Usually when people come across dengue breeding grounds, they have to fill in a paper, go to the post office, post it to CMC and some people don’t even know where or who to complain to,” he said.
“The GPS system also helps give vital information. If a relative or friend that you are with develops symptoms of dengue, you will know where to go as you will be informed of the vicinity hospitals, where to get curative care, where to get preventive care and where the relevant health officers, chief medical officer and nearest municipal councils are.”
A health education tool has also been incorporated into it. Information on what dengue is, what the signs and symptoms are and how it is spread can be learnt through this app.
When asked about the outcome and whether the app is being actively used, he said: “Right now, not more than a handful has downloaded it. Mobitel is our partner; they have to give publicity and only after that will more people be aware of this new facility and start using it,” he said.
As for the present number of dengue cases, he said they were reducing. “In the last two days seven cases have been reported and this is 50% less than was reported last year. The cases accumulated on Saturday and Sunday.”
