'Ask RAKSHA' Chatbot On WhatsApp Will Resolve Health Queries Of Indians For Free

April 7 is celebrated as World Health Day across the globe to bring attention to health issues that plague humanity. On the occasion, WhatsApp has been graced with a new tool that provides verified and fact-checked information about health and well-being.

The new chatbot is called "Ask RAKSHA" and was built by health information and fact-checking platform THIP Media. RAKSHA is an acronym for Readily Accessible Knowledge and Support for Health Action and is built on WhatsApp's Business Platform.

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Answering health queries of Indians

The new health-focused chatbot will give Indians a chance to get queries about their health resolved directly through the bot for free. In addition, users can subscribe to daily health tips or play a quiz to evaluate how much a user knows about one's health.

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For now, the chatbot responds in the English language. In a statement shared with Indiatimes, THIP Media said that the company intends to launch a Hindi and Bengali version of the chatbot.

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Wondering how to access the chatbot? It's quite simple. To talk with RAKSHA, simply send a ¡°Hi¡± to the number +91-85078-85079 on WhatsApp.

Shivnath Thukral, Public Policy Director, WhatsApp India, said, "We¡¯re pleased to support the launch of ¡®Ask RAKSHA¡¯ - The Healthy Indian Project¡¯s chatbot built on the WhatsApp Business platform that will help users access credible health related information from the independent third-party fact-checker, certified by International Fact-Checking Network."

Also read: Indian Govt's WhatsApp Chatbot Will Let You Instantly Download Official Documents

THIP Media is a signatory of International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). The company works with verified medical professionals to provide fact-checked information about health, medicine, diet, and treatment methods. The platform publishes in English, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Nepali.

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Sudipta Sengupta, CEO of The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), said, "We are thankful to WhatsApp for the support in building this chatbot. It helps us extend THIP Media¡¯s objective of making credible health information available to all Indians and also save them from health misinformation. It¡¯s a good feeling to be able to launch this on the eve of International Fact Checking Day and World Health Day."

What do you think about this chatbot that solves health people's queries on WhatsApp? Let us know if you'll be using it in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.