Facebook launches COVID-19 Information Center in 17 sub-Saharan African countries

As the spread of COVID-19 expands to new countries that hadn’t been nearly as affected before, Facebook has decided to add its Coronavirus Information Centers in 17 African countries. The Facebook COVID-19 Information Center is featured at the top of the News Feed and includes real-time updates from The WHO and other health organizations, as well as tips on how to stay healthy.

The COVID-19 Information Center also features clips, videos, and articles on how to properly social distance and reduce the risk of contracting or spreading the Coronavirus. Facebook users are able to opt-in or opt-out of coronavirus update notifications as well.

The countries in Sub-Sahara Africa that will now have access to the Facebook COVID-19 Information Center include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire,
Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Togo.

“We’ve built the information centers, in collaboration with national health partners, to ensure that people can get access to information from trusted health sources,” said Kojo Boakye, Facebook’s head of public policy, Africa. “The launch of the COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook in more than 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa aligns with our commitment to making accurate, timely information about the pandemic accessible to all communities.”