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Mobile Network Operators partner AU in fight against Ebola

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ZIMBABWEAN Mobile Network Operators yesterday came together in a bid to support the fight against Ebola in West Africa.

ZIMBABWEAN Mobile Network Operators yesterday came together in a bid to support the fight against Ebola in West Africa.

FELUNA NLEYA STAFF REPORTER

The local mobile operators joined other operators across Africa to partner the African Union (AU) Commission to support the fight against the deadly virus which has claimed over 7 000 lives.

The initiative will use a dedicated SMS platform to raise funds for the deployment of African health workers to affected countries.

The SMS will cost 0,20 cents and will be sent to the mobile number 7979.

Econet, Netone and Telecel yesterday held a joint launch to show their support in the fight against Ebola.

The launch was attended by officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services.

Health and Childcare secretary Gerald Gwinji said the epidemic required that all countries team up if the war against Ebola was to be won.

“The Ebola scare has brought various players together, and my ministry is grateful for the outpouring of support thus demonstrated so far,” Gwinji said.

“You will have heard of the many battles that have been won in this current Ebola was in Senegal, Nigeria and the DRC, but in the original three countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia the outbreaks rage on, this is our source of concern and extreme anxiety, because once abated at source, we will cease to be at risk of Ebola. As it is we remain at risk of importation of Ebola cases.”

ICT secretary Engineer Sam Kundishora said the public should see the initiative as an opportunity where they could contribute to their health.

“This initiative #Africaunitedagainstebola for me therefore is the highest form of direct public private partnership to assist government, and I wish to applaud the three mobile operators in Zimbabwe for coming forward in this way,” Kundishora said.

Meanwhile, director of epidemiology and disease control in the Health and Child Care ministry Portia Manangazira said they have put at least 3000 people on surveillance since early august. She said most of them have since completed the surveillance.