from PHYLLIS BIRORI in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda Bureau
KIGALI, (CAJ News) – THREE African countries have been internationally honoured for showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide fostering digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale.
The awards at the ongoing World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) awarded Algeria, Rwanda and Tanzania for their role in promotion of information and communication technology (ICTs) for development.
The three African countries won top innovative awards that ensured their citizens were not excluded in socio-economic progress.
Algeria’s Digitization Association for Technology and Science (DATS) was honoured for its Center for Digitization and Documentation of Heritage and Arts Setif project in the cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content.
Rwanda’s Check Me projected was rewarded in ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-health) for implementing an AI-powered e-health platform aimed at combating breast cancer in Africa by addressing awareness gaps, accessibility issues, and high healthcare costs through education, self-screening guidance, and connectivity with specialists and survivors.
Also winning the top award was Internet Society Tanzania Chapter (ISOC-Tz) & Partner Organization for Digital Africa & ISOC Foundation, a Tanzania Digital Inclusion Project (TADIP) recognised for helping citizens an easy access to information and knowledge, a development ITU stated that it bridged the digital divide in Tanzania by providing affordable Internet access, digital skills training, and community engagement initiatives, thereby fostering socio-economic development and inclusivity.
Speaking at the WSIS event, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said the WSIS prizes recognized innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development in line with advance the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals
“This year’s WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe’s biggest challenges,” said Bogdan-Martin.
“These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Eighteen other countries, whose technological projects were rewarded includes China’s Large-Capacity Wide-Area Data Express for Scientific Computing Breakthroughs, India’s Smartpur, the United States of America’s One-stop AI Solution for content creators to go viral – consistently and Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), which Empowers Disaster Response in Northern Mindanao through the use of Local Radio Networks.
Other technological projects honoured were from Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Oman, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Malaysia and Argentina
– CAJ News