The World Health Organisation has praised the role of Government of India’s COVID 19 tracking App Aarogya Setu saying that it has played helped in the authorities identify cluster areas and expand testing in a targeted way.
WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Aarogya Setu app from India has been downloaded by 150 million users and has helped city public health departments to identify areas where clusters could be anticipated and expand testing in a targeted way,”.
World Health Organization @WHO lauds @SetuAarogya app, says it helped to identify Covid-19 clusters https://t.co/ysavvYa4b3 via @timesofindia
— B Y Raghavendra (@BYRBJP) October 14, 2020
According to Ghebreyesus, the COVID pandemic can be overcome quickly if countries use the right tools. He also warned against the idea that herd immunity is an unrealistic strategy to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.
15 crore users have downloaded the Aarogya Setu App so far, says World Health Organization.#MaskUpIndia #Unite2FightCorona #JanAndolan @MIB_India @DDNewslive @DDIndialive @PIBBhubaneswar pic.twitter.com/1HXLtHEOIM
— DD News Odia (ଡ଼ିଡ଼ି ନ୍ୟୁଜ ଓଡିଆ) (@DDOdiaNews) October 14, 2020
He called such proposals, scientifically and ethically problematic, and said health officials typically aim to achieve herd immunity by vaccination, and herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it.