By Lauren Woodman, CEO, NetHopeIt was September 2014, and NetHope had been hearing from our member NGOs working in West Africa about the desperate need for improved connectivity in the rural districts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The Ebola outbreak was ravaging the region, and the lack of connectivity in hard-hit areas was making … Continued
By Forrest Wilhoit, Africa Broadband CoordinatorThe Ebola crisis of 2014-2015 resulted in tragic loss of life across West Africa and caused massive global alarm. It also revealed the power of communications technology – and the significant problems that can result when communications networks fail during a crisis.In Liberia’s national response to Ebola, the fragility of … Continued
When was the last time you heard news about the Ebola outbreak? In the past few months, the coverage has become less common as new infections being reported approaches zero. The fight isn’t over, but as the situation continues to improve and experts have additional time to analyze the epidemic, a number of lessons learned are beginning to emerge. One in particular worth noting is the role of digital volunteers in countering crises.
Today at the World Economic Forum in Davos NetHope announced a partnership that will further expand our communications capacity building support for NetHope member NGOs and other response organizations in West Africa. The Ebola Response Connectivity Initiative (ECRI) will provide sustainable Internet connectivity solutions to support frontline response efforts and long-term recovery in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Communications capacity and tools are the lifeline of any major emergency response effort such as the fight to combat the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa. And quality information, made accessible to key decision makers, is paramount in enabling responders to make timely, informed decisions that save lives and ease human suffering.
Last weekend I had the chance to spend a few hours with scores of other volunteers who braved the cold to spend their Saturday loading software onto thousands of smartphones at Seattle’s Living Computer Museum.
The smartphones are headed to West Africa to support the Ebola response efforts of government agencies, UN organizations, international NGOs and local communities. They will help frontline Ebola response workers to more effectively gather and share data, helping them respond to the needs of victims and communities more effectively and coordinate efforts across the multitude of local and international organizations responding to the crisis.
NetHope recently launched an appeal to support its member organizations responding to the severe outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is unprecedented in terms of the number of cases, deaths and its geographical spread. NetHope’s main focus is to assist its NGO member organizations and other responders with information and communication technology (ICT) aspects of the response.