Algeria, with the second-highest COVID-19 cases in Africa, set up a call centre in the capital Algiers on 26 February, a day after it confirmed the first case of the virus, to boost early detection and help contain wider spread of the disease. Around 10 days after being established, more than 46 000 people had called the centre’s 24-hour toll-free number.
Amid answering dozens of calls, Dr Bahia Bousri explains that she mainly provides callers with information about the disease and if there is a suspected case directs them to a medical centre for immediate diagnosis. “People want to understand how one can get infected with coronavirus and how to avoid infection. We receive calls all day and all night long,” says Dr Bousri, a practicing doctor for 13 years.
Setting up a call center with trained staff to provide advice, information and counselling is one of the many recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist countries to respond to the pandemic. WHO responds to COVID19 by providing global guidance to assist with risk communication, public outreach and addressing misinformation and rumours. Rumour monitoring tools and guidelines for addressing them have also been published by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and shared with country offices.