As the West Africa Ebola continued to
wreak havoc among global community, A new mobile telephone-based mapping
service has been created in a bid to track the deadly disease and better help
communities hit by the virus in the region.
The system, collaboration between IBM,
mobile telephone companies and academics, allows people in affected areas to
send free text messages about Ebola to track problems and trends, with the
program mapping the exact location from where it is sent.
"It has already brought to light
specific regions with growing numbers of suspected Ebola cases which require
urgent supplies like soap and electricity, as well as faster response times for
body collection and burials," IBM said.
The company claims it can create a range
of maps to track needs and problems, to better allow health workers and
governments tackle them.
"We saw the need to quickly develop
a system to enable communities directly affected by Ebola to provide valuable
insight about how to fight it," IBM Research Africa's chief scientist Uyi
Stewart said in a statement.
"Using mobile technology, we have
given them a voice and a channel to communicate their experiences
directly," Stewart said.
More than 10 000 people have contracted
the deadly virus in West Africa, according to the latest World Health
Organisation figures.
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