Facebook taking three-pronged approach to fighting Ebola in West Africa
Facebook is extending its philanthropic arm, joining the fight against the Ebola outbreak in West Africa on three fronts. First and foremost: money. Facebook users will see a donation bug pop up in their news feed in the coming days offering options to donate to three nonprofits (the International Medical Corps, the Red Cross and Save the Children). Leveraging its enormous user base to funnel funding to nonprofits is just the base level -- Facebook is also providing emergency voice/data services to medical workers in the three West African countries most affected by Ebola: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. It's working with NetHope, a collaboration of nongovernmental organizations, to provide those services.
Facebook and NetHope are deploying 100 "mobile satellite communication terminals" -- standalone computer terminals which provide broadband internet and telephone service. The devices are headed to areas with "little-to-no-existing communications capacity" with the intention of helping curb the spread of Ebola through data and communication.
Beyond connectivity, Facebook's working with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help educate the West African public on Ebola symptoms and treatment. Specifically, information will be surfaced on Facebook for users in "affected and neighboring regions." The messages are localized based on region, and "focus on Ebola detection, prevention and treatment." One such message can be seen below:
If you'd like to donate directly, or to learn more about fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, here are some options:
Facebook's Ebola page, full of information and direct links to groups involved
The Economist has an interactive map tracking the current situation
The Red Cross has a webpage focused on the West Africa Ebola outbreak, and the organization is actively involved in recovery efforts
As does the United Nation Children's Fund, which is also actively involved in recovery efforts
To further understand the current Ebola outbreak, check out this great video from Discovery Networks' TestTube channel on YouTube:
