5 Dec 2019

World-first online measles chatbot

From , 6:00 am on 5 December 2019

A world-first online measles chatbot designed by two Pacific doctors in Auckland has gone gangbusters with an increasing number of parents in the Pacific asking for help on how to treat their children who've been diagnosed with measles.

Dr Canaan Aumua and Dr Sanjeev Krishna wanted to help stop the spread of the disease so launched a free, interactive and instant online messaging service through Facebook messenger. 

Dr Aumua told Indira Stewart many of the questions sent through in the last two weeks show people are becoming desperate about measles, especially in Samoa. 

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A woman outside the main hospital in Apia, Samoa. Photo: RNZ / Logan Church