The short version
We store your phone number and a record of which options you choose in the chat, so the bot can hold a conversation with you and so we can understand how Kova is used. Some of those choices relate to health, like which symptom you checked or which first aid guide you opened. We do not store the words you type, your location, the places you search for, medicine numbers you look up, or photos you send. We do not sell your information to anyone.
What we store against your phone number
- Your phone number. This is how WhatsApp identifies you, and it's the only way we can respond to you at all.
- Where you are in the conversation, and when you first and last messaged us, so the bot can continue from where you left off.
- Whether you agreed to use the service, and whether you opted out by replying STOP.
- A record of the options you choose, such as which menu button you tapped, or what kind of request you typed (for example "a clinic" or "first aid for a burn"), but not your actual words.
- Health-related choices you make in the chat:
- in the symptom check, which symptom you chose and how long you said it had been going on;
- which first aid guide you opened;
- if a message mentions an emergency, that it happened and which emergency word was recognised (for example "seizure"), but not your message;
- if a message mentions self-harm, only that it happened, so we can understand how often people need that support, but not your message or the words used;
- when you check a medicine, whether it was found on NAFDAC's register, but not the medicine or its number.
- Whether you'd be interested in affordable health insurance, and what price range feels comfortable, if you choose to answer that question. This helps us understand what to build next.
This is a record of which options you picked, not a medical record or a diagnosis. We don't ask what conditions you have, and Kova never tells you what illness you have.
What we don't store
- The words you type. We use them in the moment to work out what you need, then they're gone. Only the kind of request is recorded, as described above.
- Your location. If you share it, it's used only for that one search for nearby pharmacies or clinics.
- Places you type (for example "Ikeja") when you can't share your location. They're used only for that one search.
- NAFDAC numbers you look up, which could show what medicine you take.
- Photos you send. A photo of a medicine pack is read once to find its NAFDAC number, then discarded. Other photos, voice notes and files aren't opened at all; we only note what kind of message it was so the bot can reply.
- Your WhatsApp profile name. We use your first name to greet you, and never save it.
What we don't do
- We do not sell or rent your information to advertisers or any third party.
- We do not show third-party ads inside the bot.
- We do not diagnose you or keep a diagnosis history.
- We do not share your information with insurance companies or healthcare providers without your separate, explicit agreement. None of that happens automatically today.
If you join the beta on our website
If you sign up for the beta, we collect your first name, your WhatsApp number and the area you live in. We use them only to contact you on WhatsApp about the beta, to give you access to Kova, and to understand which areas our early users come from. We don't use them for anything else and we don't sell them. If you'd like to be removed from the beta list, contact us (below) and we'll delete your details.
Who else sees this data
A few services help us actually run this tool. Each only receives what it needs for its specific job, and none of them is told who you are, unless noted:
- Meta (WhatsApp) carries the messages between you and us, the same way it does for any WhatsApp conversation, so it knows your number.
- Google Places or OpenStreetMap (depending on availability) receives your location, if you share it, to search for nearby pharmacies or clinics.
- OpenStreetMap's place search receives the name of the area or town you type, if you can't share your location, to find where to search.
- NAFDAC's public Greenbook receives the NAFDAC number you type or photograph, to look it up on NAFDAC's register of approved products. Kova is not part of or endorsed by NAFDAC.
- Google Cloud Vision receives the photo of a medicine pack you send, to read the text on it. It's only used when you send a photo in the "Check a medicine" step.
- Netlify, which hosts this website, receives and stores beta sign-up forms. No one outside the Kova team has access to them.
- Our hosting provider (Railway) stores the underlying database. No one outside the Kova team has access to it.
Visitors to this website
This website uses Google's advertising tag so we can tell whether our own ads lead people to join the beta. When you visit, Google may set cookies and receive technical details such as your IP address, device type, and which ad you clicked. We use the results only to count how our ads perform. You can block or clear cookies in your browser settings, and Google explains its own handling of this data in its privacy policy.
This is separate from the chat itself. Nothing you type to Kova on WhatsApp goes to Google's advertising tag.
How long we keep it
We keep your phone number and the record of options you've chosen for as long as you're an active user of the service, so the bot can remember where you left off and avoid asking you to repeat yourself. If you'd like your data deleted entirely, contact us (below) and we'll remove it.
Your rights under the Nigeria Data Protection Act
- Opt out anytime. Reply STOP to the bot and we will not message you again unless you write to us first.
- Ask what we have. Contact us and we'll tell you exactly what's stored against your number.
- Ask us to delete it. Contact us and we'll remove your data.
Age requirement
This service is intended for people aged 18 and older.
Not medical advice
Kova is not a replacement for a doctor. It's a free tool to help you find care and understand basic guidance faster. Always seek a qualified medical professional for actual diagnosis or treatment, and in an emergency, go to the nearest hospital or call 112 immediately rather than waiting on this chat.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes in any meaningful way, we'll update the date at the top of this page. Continuing to use Kova after a change means you accept the updated version.
Contact us
Questions about your data, or want something deleted? Reach us at hello@kovahealthservices.com.