Search giant Google is working in joint partnership with some organizations including Bangladesh Government, United States Embassy in Dhaka and UNICEF to provide the netizens with the approved and reliable information of the concerned authorities about the prevention of dengue, familiarization with the symptoms and treatment. As part of this, Google has launched various support features in web search and YouTube.
As a result, when using Google search from Bangladesh, the user is shown UNICEF public service announcements approved by the Department of Health in Bengali or English language of choice. At the same time, Google has launched an emergency SOS alert service in search. Through this, if users search for information related to dengue, they are being introduced to the call center (16263) of the Department of Health in addition to providing reliable information in Bengali or English.
Also two separate microsites have been created using search terms related to dengue in Bengali and English Through this, the search trend of Dengue related queries is known.
In addition to the search engine, the homepage of the video site YouTube has three UNICEF public service announcements endorsed by the Department of Health. Google authorities claim that these steps have helped users with authorized information on dengue fever prevention, symptom identification and collaboration.
About this, the country director of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Bangladesh Dr. Neely Kaydos-Daniels said, this year’s dengue outbreak in Bangladesh is unprecedented. It was very difficult for the general public to get accurate and correct information against various rumors and misinformation regarding the prevention and cure of dengue infection. Misinformation can easily spread in such critical situations. The work of Google and the Department of Health and others to ensure that reliable information reaches the people of Bangladesh quickly is commendable. Such partnerships between the private sector and the government can play a vital role in providing fast, reliable and reliable information on public health issues such as dengue. The US Embassy is delighted to be a part of such an important initiative.
Google’s country director (Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) Farhan Qureshi said the situation in Bangladesh is very serious. We know many people are concerned about finding trusted and reliable health information. Google has a great ability to provide support to such people. We are proud to work with the Department of Health, UNICEF, the US Embassy and other organizations to help the people of Bangladesh find accurate and timely information.