Facebook helped DOH develop its 'KontraCOVID' Messenger chatbot, 'Kira'

The Department of Health (DOH) now have its own "KontraCOVID" Messenger Bot "Kira" to help disseminate reliable information about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to DOH's Twitter account Kira is actually an acronym that stands for "Katuwang na Impormasyon para sa Responsableng Aksyon." 

MAY MGA KATANUNGAN KA BA ukol sa COVID-19 na gusto mong matugunan nang mabilis at tama? ????

Narito na si KIRA, ang ating friendly KontraCOVID Bot, upang sumagot sa inyo! I-message na si KIRA ngayon! ????#BeatCOVID19#WeHealAsOne#COVID19PH pic.twitter.com/luqUpo6eTo

— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) April 23, 2020

By asking Kira their pertinent questions on COVID-19, Facebook users can self-check whether or not they are at risk for the disease. The bot also gives tips on how you can protect yourself against the disease but most importantly, Kira aims to help Filipinos understand the quarantine guidelines better.

In a virtual briefing with Facebook Philippines on Tuesday, Head of Public Policy in the Philippines Clare Amador, said this project was developed through the Messenger Developer Partnership.

It has connected government health organizations and UN health agencies with developers who helped them optimize their use of the Facebook Messenger app.

The developers provided their services pro bono to help the health agencies automate responses to commonly asked questions.

DOH was not the first to launch a chatbot. In April, UPResilience Institute has launched their bot named "Yani" meant to cater to people's needs amid COVID-19. — LA, GMA News