Expert diabetes and healthy living advice that’s easy to understand, now available on WhatsApp.
National Diabetes Month begins on 1 November, and it’s a stark reminder of the stats: diabetes is the number one killer of women, the number two killer of men – despite not being a lethal condition! There is no national diabetes education programme, which means that people don’t understand their condition: they are dying unnecessarily.
Today, there’s hope. With the launch of a diabetes education solution for all South Africans. The Sweet Life Chatbot offers expert diabetes and healthy living advice that’s easy to understand, right in the palm of your hand. Whether you’re just diagnosed with diabetes, want to understand what diabetes is, or simply want some healthy eating, exercise and mental health tips, you’ll find it on the Sweet Life Chatbot. Friendly advice – in English from 1 November and isiZulu on World Diabetes Day, 14 November – backed by experts, from South Africa’s largest online diabetes community.
“We are so excited to be launching the Sweet Life Chatbot today!” says Bridget McNulty, co-founder of Sweet Life. “For the past few years, we’ve known that diabetes education on WhatsApp was the right solution for our community, but we were looking for the right partner to help us launch. We’re delighted to have found that in Unu Health, a health tech platform that empowers South Africans to know their basic metrics and move towards better health.”
“Unu Health partnered with Sweet Life and sponsored the Sweet Life Chatbot development as we were surprised to learn that there is no comprehensive educational diabetes information available in South Africa,” explains Star Mkhize from Unu Health. “We know this could empower so many people in managing their condition and living a healthy, happier life. Making it available via WhatsApp from our app speaks directly to our purpose of empowering individuals to own their wellbeing,” she adds.
Unu Health is a free app that offers BMI, blood pressure and oxygenation results, and will soon be offering HbA1c results. Through advanced technology, Unu Health aims to provide anyone with a smart phone in South Africa access to quality affordable healthcare . “Our app not only gives you immediate access to doctors and nurses at the best price point In South Africa, but also offers a 50 second free face scan that gives you key health information about your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as a health score to help you improve your health,” explains Star Mkhize.
Anyone interested can download the Unu app to access the Sweet Life Chatbot, and get info on the following:
- Just diagnosed
- What is diabetes?
- What should I eat?
- How can I get active?
- What about mental health?
- What are my diabetes rights?
“We know that the only way to turn the diabetes situation in South Africa around is by empowering individuals,” says Bridget McNulty. “We developed this first version of the Sweet Life Chatbot to do just that: offer the right information to the right person, exactly when they need it.”
Find out more at https://sweetlife.org.za/ and https://unuhealth.org/
