Meet Florence, WHO's first virtual health worker, designed to help the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users quit.She uses artificial intelligence to dispel myths around COVID-19 and smoking and helps people develop a personalized plan to quit tobacco.

Users can rely on Florenceas a trusted source of information to achieve their quit goals. She can also help recommend tobacco users to further national toll-free quit lines or apps that can help you with your quit journey. You can interact with her via video or text.

Around 60% of tobacco users worldwide say they want to quit, only 30% of them have access to the tools they need, like counsellors, to take action.

Quitting smoking is more important than ever as evidence reveals that smokers are more vulnerable than non-smokers to developing a severe case of COVID-19.

Florence develops your quit plan using the 'STAR' method:

Set a quit date.It is important to set a quit date as soon as possible. Giving yourself a short period to quit will keep you focused and motivated to achieve your goal.

Tell your friends, family, and coworkers.It is important to share your goal to quit with those you interact frequently.

Anticipate challenges to the upcoming quit attempt.Particularly during the critical first few weeks, which arethe hardest due to potential nicotine withdrawal symptoms as well as the obstacles presented by breaking any habit.

Remove tobacco products from your environment.Its best to rid yourself of such temptations by making a smoke free house, avoiding smoking areas, and asking your peers to not smoke around you.

Florence was created with technology developed by San Francisco and New Zealand based Digital People company Soul Machines, with support from Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

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AI for Quitting Tobacco Initiative - World Health Organization