UTAS students launch AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot to address adolescent reproductive health challenges

Two University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) students have created an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot named SafeSiso, aimed at providing adolescent girls with confidential and accessible information on sexual and reproductive health. The chatbot, launched in Navrongo, Kassena-Nankana Municipality, was developed by Munayya Musah Seidu and Abdul Aziz Alhassan to address adolescent pregnancy and other reproductive health challenges.

SafeSiso was conceived as a response to the difficulties adolescents face in discussing sensitive issues with parents, teachers, or other trusted individuals due to stigma and cultural taboos. The chatbot allows young people to privately ask questions about menstruation, relationships, pregnancy, and other reproductive health concerns.

SafeSiso connects users to verified health and support services when needed, and is currently being piloted in schools in the Upper East Region, with the goal of expanding its reach to other regions. The initiative is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Canada under the Adolescent Girls Programme.