A picture taken in Oshodi Heritage park in Lagos on October 20, 2014 shows an electronic information board on Ebola reading in pidgin English “No Shaking ! We go Chase Ebola Comot” which means “No cause for worry, we will chase Ebola away”. Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria was on Monday declared officially Ebola free but warned that it remained vulnerable as long as the virus was raging elsewhere in west Africa. The country representative of the World Health Organization, Rui Gama Vaz, said 42 days — or two incubation periods of 21 days — had elapsed without any new confirmed cases of the deadly virus. AFP PHOTO
Following its recent partnership with the African Union (AU) Commission to support the fight against Ebola in West Africa, telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the 7979 SMS short-code, to help raise funds and drive awareness for the initiative.
The initiative, operating under #AfricaAgainstEbola, will use the 7979 dedicated platform to raise funds for the deployment of African health workers to affected countries.
To support the initiative, Airtel customers are encouraged to send ‘StopEbola’ as an SMS and as a single word to the short-code, 7979 at N100 per SMS. All monies realised from the SMS campaign will be donated to the AU Fund set up to kick Ebola out of Africa.
Ebola has claimed over 9,637 lives across some parts of West Africa since it was first reported in Guinea in December 2013.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said Airtel Nigeria is committed to the partnership with the AU on the initiative.
“As a major stakeholder with operations in 17 African countries, we are intensely interested in the communities and people we serve just as we are passionate about creating platforms to uplift the less privileged. This partnership with AU provides a fine opportunity for all of us at Airtel Nigeria to join in kicking Ebola out of Africa”.
Ogunsanya had also donated mobile phones, SIM cards and airtime to all the 290 Nigerian doctors, nurses and other care-givers, who volunteered to join the fight against Ebola.
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