In the wake of the international Ebola virus spread, organisations are trying to inform people on the precautionary metres they need to take in order to protect themselves against the dangerous virus. Social Media and messaging platforms could not be left out of this initiative, with BBC launching a WhatsApp service to inform everyone interested.
Also Read: Facebook Rolls Out Safety Check Tool For Disaster Victims
The service will provide audio, text message alerts and image services to all those subscribed in two languages; English and French. It aims to inform people about the disease and combat it with the help of the community and, especially, users in West Africa.
This group chat aims to be the biggest information source about the virus, given that the WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app used in Africa. This way, a large amount of people who may be affected can be reached directly and instantly. More information on how to subscribe can be found here.
Apart from that service though, there is another site that helps build awareness regarding the Ebola virus: Ebolanear.me. It simply calculates the closest Ebola virus case, by retrieving browser’s location, and provides users with useful further readings and facts about the virus
How do you find these initiatives? Do you think that social media can help contain the spread of the virus?
Related Stories:
- How To Stay Safe On Facebook
- What happens in a Twitter minute? [Infographic]
- Twitter Alerts – Feature for Emergencies
More from Other Platforms
You Can Now Share SoundCloud Tracks On Instagram Stories
Say goodbye to screenshots, you can now share SoundCloud tracks directly to your Instagram Stories. Well, almost.
YouTube Makes Premieres Available To Everyone
YouTube announced this week that it's opened up its Premieres feature to all users around the world.
Snap Updates Snapchat Lens Studio, Adds New Templates
Last week Snap updated Snapchat Lens Studio with new templates that allow creators to take advantage of advanced AR features.
