Facebook and Google help fight Ebola
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:54 am
06 December, 2014 @ 5:38 pmby Eduardo Aranhain Digital Strategy Success StoriesLeave a comment
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The worst Ebola epidemic has caused, by November 2014, more than 14,000 cases of infection and 5,160 deaths. The epicentre of the disease is believed to have started in Africa but spread to other countries outside the continent, notably Spain and the USA. While the press issued warnings to the entire world, two Internet giants stepped forward and provided assistance.
But what is Ebola?
Ebola is a virus that causes a disease that affects humans and other mammals. russia email list The main symptoms appear two to three weeks after infection, when fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches begin to appear.
In a later phase of the disease , other symptoms appear, such as vomiting, diarrhea and skin reactions, as well as kidney and liver failure. In cases where the disease is beyond treatment, the patient dies between the 6th and 16th day after the onset of symptoms.
Transmission only occurs when there is direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or through contact with objects contaminated by the virus , especially needles and syringes.
The first outbreak of this disease – which has been the cause of the death of thousands of people in recent decades – occurred in 1976. Since the disease emerged in Yambuku, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the virus was named after the river that runs through the city: Ebola .
Ebola: the first social cause that Google fought
No one ever imagined Facebook and Google acting as philanthropists and supporting social causes, but the truth is that it happened.
Google ran a fundraising campaign to fight Ebola. Basically, for every $1 donated, Google would donate $2, until the total amount raised was $7.5 million (equivalent to six million euros). The campaign ended once the amount was reached.
This is a historic case for the North American multinational, as it is the first time that it has accepted users' requests to help support a social cause .
The money raised was divided between the different organizations associated with Google : Doctors Without Borders , International Rescue Committee , Partners in Health and Save the Children .
But this was not the only initiative launched by the multinational: the company donated more than ten million dollars to non-profit associations dedicated to fighting the epidemic . Separately, Google co-founder and executive chairman Larry Page donated 15 million to a private foundation.
Facebook has also been no stranger to the cause. The CEO and founder of the world's largest social network, Mark Zuckerberg , has donated $25 million to help fight the virus and launched an Ebola donation campaign on its homepage.
Why did Google choose Ebola as the first cause to help?
The Ebola issue has been widely discussed, but Google has acknowledged that not enough aid was being channeled to the cause. Unlike what happened with the 2010 Haiti earthquake , for example, when thousands of volunteers mobilized to help and countless donations were received within hours, the same did not happen with Ebola .
So Google decided to bring its users something about Ebola: more information and the chance to make a contribution to help.
In addition to all the donations that were made, Google tried to see if it could intervene in some more practical way and decided to send a team of engineers to work with Doctors Without Borders and help them develop tools capable of detecting the origins of the disease and identifying new cases.
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Share this article
The worst Ebola epidemic has caused, by November 2014, more than 14,000 cases of infection and 5,160 deaths. The epicentre of the disease is believed to have started in Africa but spread to other countries outside the continent, notably Spain and the USA. While the press issued warnings to the entire world, two Internet giants stepped forward and provided assistance.
But what is Ebola?
Ebola is a virus that causes a disease that affects humans and other mammals. russia email list The main symptoms appear two to three weeks after infection, when fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches begin to appear.
In a later phase of the disease , other symptoms appear, such as vomiting, diarrhea and skin reactions, as well as kidney and liver failure. In cases where the disease is beyond treatment, the patient dies between the 6th and 16th day after the onset of symptoms.
Transmission only occurs when there is direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or through contact with objects contaminated by the virus , especially needles and syringes.
The first outbreak of this disease – which has been the cause of the death of thousands of people in recent decades – occurred in 1976. Since the disease emerged in Yambuku, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the virus was named after the river that runs through the city: Ebola .
Ebola: the first social cause that Google fought
No one ever imagined Facebook and Google acting as philanthropists and supporting social causes, but the truth is that it happened.
Google ran a fundraising campaign to fight Ebola. Basically, for every $1 donated, Google would donate $2, until the total amount raised was $7.5 million (equivalent to six million euros). The campaign ended once the amount was reached.
This is a historic case for the North American multinational, as it is the first time that it has accepted users' requests to help support a social cause .
The money raised was divided between the different organizations associated with Google : Doctors Without Borders , International Rescue Committee , Partners in Health and Save the Children .
But this was not the only initiative launched by the multinational: the company donated more than ten million dollars to non-profit associations dedicated to fighting the epidemic . Separately, Google co-founder and executive chairman Larry Page donated 15 million to a private foundation.
Facebook has also been no stranger to the cause. The CEO and founder of the world's largest social network, Mark Zuckerberg , has donated $25 million to help fight the virus and launched an Ebola donation campaign on its homepage.
Why did Google choose Ebola as the first cause to help?
The Ebola issue has been widely discussed, but Google has acknowledged that not enough aid was being channeled to the cause. Unlike what happened with the 2010 Haiti earthquake , for example, when thousands of volunteers mobilized to help and countless donations were received within hours, the same did not happen with Ebola .
So Google decided to bring its users something about Ebola: more information and the chance to make a contribution to help.
In addition to all the donations that were made, Google tried to see if it could intervene in some more practical way and decided to send a team of engineers to work with Doctors Without Borders and help them develop tools capable of detecting the origins of the disease and identifying new cases.
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Everything you need to know about Legionella
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