The African Union is betting on technology to jumpstart the continent’s trade, travel and tourism.
The body has put in place a number of innovations that will support the growth of online commerce as countries reopen their economies.
Among the solutions unveiled by the organisation is PanaBios – a bio-surveillance and bio-screening suite for Covid-19 and other diseases of epidemiological significance – which has the capacity to monitor and model human congestion, thereby mapping how the virus is spreading, and helping minimize new infections.
Experts say this will ensure continuity of businesses in the region and movement of goods across borders, as the union starts the process of moving Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) operations online at a pace determined by the member states.
However, not all commerce can be virtual and restoration to normalcy requires movements to resume. Because reopening markets and resuming movement present serious risks of an upsurge in infections, it is important for a harmonised solution to ensure risk management. This is where tools such as PanaBIOS can prove useful.
Source: Daily Nation
