The Britsh Red Cross will launch its TERA SMS messaging system in a bid to save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from crises and disasters in West Africa
According to the British Red Cross, mobile operators will also be protecting their own business from the effects of disasters by rolling out TERA SMS messaging system.
The TERA system enables Red Cross Red Crescent to send SMS text messages to people in different regions. TERA is used to give early warning of floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters, to provide targeted information on where to find medical help, clean water, food, shelter.
The system also notifies victims about changes in the services being offered, providing detailed advice on a number of issues including hygiene, avoiding fraud, caring for the ill and receiving feedback about the victims needs and experience of relief services.
“To our advantage, we now know that epidemics can be stopped. And the principle is always the same, isolating suspected patients to prevent them from giving the disease to people around them and scaling up our education and awareness campaigns.
“In a proactive move, the Sierra Leone Red Cross is using SMS messaging to raise awareness about Ebola prevention. In a short space of time, we have reached more than two million people through their mobile phones, with advice on how they can protect themselves and their families from the virus.”
