This EPIC app by Msian mosquito haters will make you itch less

(Sorry for the clickbait but this article is mainly about one of the worst types of mosquitoes we know: Aedes!!! Ragraghaghasdjfhaksdjf)

Chances are, the majority of answers would be either you know people who have gotten dengue before, or you’ve kena dengue yourself.

It shows that dengue is all around us, but the issue is not about treating, it’s about preventing it before it even starts. How do we do that if Malaysians generally tend to tune out the moment people talk about dengue? We noticed that with our own dengue articles (here and here).

But maybe with the help of awesome, cutting edge technology, we can ACT before dengue strikes (or should we say bites…like mosquito bites, geddit?).

 

What if you could predict when YOUR area is a hotspot?

So that you have time to clean out your longkang, throw away open containers, and stock up enough Ridsect for a mosquito apocalypse. (FUN FACT: A tiny puddle the size of a 20 cent coin is enough for mosquitoes to lay eggs). By right, doing all that should be a continuous effort, but sometimes what technology-dependent people like us need is a reminder from Google Calendar or else we might never get to it.

Enter this app… Artificial Intelligence and Medical Epidemiology, or AIME (pronounced Amy), a disease-prediction mobile platform that predicts deadly disease outbreaks 3 MONTHS in advance! First, you select the location you’re in and click analyse. This smart algorithm will calculate the probability in percentage of an outbreak happening in a 400m geo-location. Click here to watch a demo. It’s literally that easy!

Developed in the Silicon Valley, US, by Malaysian epidemiologist Dr. Dhesi Raja, and computer scientists Dr. Peter Ho and Dr. Choo-Yee Ting, AIME’s smart algorithms work based on various factors – environment factors, dengue factors and even the community – predicting dengue outbreaks in a specific locations up to 3 MONTHS in advance!

Sounds amazeballs right? Imagine having an app that will notify you when dengue is about to break out in your housing area. Imagine how governments and public health sectors can be so ready to tackle it when an outbreak occurs. GREAT! Now where can we download it?

 

The app’s actually not ready yet. But it’s going to be soon!

Here’s the thing… the app is still under construction, buuut this project was listed on a new Malaysian crowdbacking platform webe community, and it was unlocked recently through free public pledges! What this means is webe community will now fund it with RM250,000!

 

What in the world is webe community?

Basically, webe community is an initiative by Malaysia’s latest digital mobility services provider, webe, aiming to use Malaysians’ interest in community projects to help fund them. It isn’t just about dengue either… you can help make other projects happen… like a new KL Zombie Movie, the WEbePOP compilation album of local artistes, or a Maker’s Market.

Seven projects are listed on webe community and so far four have been unlocked and funded. Now there are only three projects to do, which need to be unlocked by this Saturday, 11 June 2016! Here’s how to help…

STEP 1: Download webe community app here:

STEP 2: Look for the KL24: Zombie, WEbePOP and Makers’ Market projects and click on them.

STEP 3: Click ‘Pledge now’ to pledge your webits (basically they’re like points), and also ‘Share & earn webits’ so your friends can see what project you’re supporting, and you can pledge them again.

Once each project hits its target of webits and supporters, they will be able to unlock funding to make their projects a reality.

So now can this app really beat dengue in Malaysia?

Well AIME has been tested in two countries so far, Malaysia and Brazil (in Rio de Jeneiro and Sao Paolo). It has shown a 86.37% accuracy. Ok sure, it’s not 100% accurate, but as AIME co-founder Dr. Dhesi said, public health is a social justice, and this allows us to be proactive rather than reactive.

“We are not sure if our action will save lives, but we are certainly sure inaction kills.” – Dr. Dhesi

Watchu waitin’ for? Help webe make this dengue app go viral. Haha geddit geddit? Viral? Coz dengue virus? So put down your electric tennis racquet mozzie killer and start sharing webits!