It was March 2014 when the WHO declared the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in the African country of Guinea. Over the next few months that follows, this epidemic was to spread to other African countries of Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with advanced cases reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, killing over 10,000 people from over 20,000 cases reported across the 3 countries over the next 12 months.

In a bid to fight this epidemic that threatened the African continent, on December 2nd, 2014, the African Union (AU) launched the ‘Africa against Ebola SMS Campaign’ to raise funds in fighting this epidemic.

Was the SMS campaign a success? To a large extent, it was.

WHAT WAS THE AIM OF THE SMS CAMPAIGN?

In fighting this virus that continued to take the life of countless Africans daily, the African Union (AU) sent about 1000 voluntary health care workers to the most affected countries i.e. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Therefore this campaign aimed to raise funds in assisting these voluntary caregivers in helping to push out this epidemic from Africa.

HOW DOES THE CAMPAIGN WORKS?

The campaign started on the 2nd of December 2014 and it was decided it will run for 3 months, to end in February 2015.

This was an SMS mobile donation campaign. It was a collaboration between the African Union and some mobile network operators across Africa. Leading mobile operators in about 41 African countries joined in this campaign and partnered with AU in fighting this epidemic.

To donate, a person is required to text ‘STOP EBOLA’ to a designated code according to the country the person is in. The shortcode used by most countries including Nigeria was 7979. A few countries had different ones depending on the ones the network operator supported in that region.

Once the message is sent, the donation will be deducted from the sender’s airtime, an equivalent of $1 in the person's country will be deducted. This money was to be used in the fight against Ebola.

THE AFRICA AGAINST EBOLA SMS CAMPAIGN- A SUCCESS?

With much awareness and efforts from the African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), many Africans participated in this SMS campaign and to great success.

Money realized from Africa against Ebola SMS campaign through donations from willing individuals from different countries was reported by Africa against Ebola organization as totaling about $37,000,000. Together with the other contributions from some countries, NGOs, corporations, and international institutions, the AU was able to raise enough in her fight against this epidemic that threatened the African continent.

On May 9th, 2015, the WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free after many months of intense fighting against this virus. As of the end of July, the WHO reports that some areas in Guinea are Ebola-free while most parts are still under careful examination. Likewise in Sierra Leone, while some parts are declared Ebola-free, the area is still under careful examination.

To a very large extent, the African Union’s Africa against Ebola SMS Campaign was a success. The donations helped in fighting the virus through the acquisition of necessary infrastructure and equipment, and also in assisting the health workers who volunteered for the course.

The use of shortcodes and SMS has again proven to be a wonderful tool in organization and prompt response generation in yet another area out of the numerous applicable areas, the health sector. Bulk SMS is saving lives.

The uses of bulk SMS are endless. If you want to experience a satisfying and exciting bulk SMS experience, you can sign up for a bulk SMS account on SmartSMSSolutions. Free SMS units are available upon registering.

Do you agree Africa against Ebola SMS Campaign has proven to be a success? You can share your views and opinions in the comment box below.