COVID-19: Young leaders design digital system to fight the Pandemic

About 350 Africa/Europe sub-group leaders under the auspices of UNLEASH Innovation Lab for the SDGs have designed digital system to tackle the current challenges caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) which has been classified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. This is to enable the people to regularly up–skill and cross-skill to stay relevant in the job market

The 2-day initiative dubbed “Unleash Global COVID-19 Hack” was a global digital hackathon designed to collectively address some of the challenges humanity is facing due to the spread and effect of COVID-19 and contributions to achievement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The group focused on various issues such as mental health, communication-related problems, resources and equipment for medical and health workers.

“I have learnt a lot and willing to use these ideas generated to support my country beat this invisible enemy, it has been a fruitful process and I will love to do it again”, Rawan Taha an Egyptian said.

A total of 31 solutions were developed, ranging from how to deal with poor mental health in times of social isolation, fighting fake news circulating around COVID-19 and delivery of systems for vulnerable people.

The Director of Global Operations & Improvement at Chemonics International, Lauren Behr indicated that, with the help of a phenomenal group of facilitators and a range of experts in time zone, the groups have developed impressive solutions to the issues like access to care for vulnerable populations and economic resiliency for individuals and small businesses.

Participants in the hackathon include Lead Innovation Partner, Deloitte with young people across 73 countries. They further went through intensive innovation process using slack, zoom and miro to actively share ideas facilitated by UNLEASH alumni.

The organizing team of the hack in Africa and Europe (GMT) zone consisted of Ghanaians namely, Andrews Kofi Akoto-Addo, Emmanuel Boamah Preko, Benjamin Nana Baisie, Afia Bobia Amanfo and Abdulrahim Shaibu-Issah.