[Busan] ITU+GSMA+Internet Society To Join Forces Fight Against Ebola
At the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference three organisations of Technocrats [1] the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), [2]the GSMA and [3]the Internet Society (ISOC), announced that they are joining forces in the fight against Ebola.
The three organizations will bring together the global telecommunications and Internet communities, leveraging their extensive reach, capacity and respective memberships to increase the effectiveness of information and communications technologies (ICT), especially mobile communication and the Internet, for better preparedness, early warning and response.
ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré convened a special session with ITU membership during the Plenipotentiary Conference currently underway in Busan, Republic of Korea, to identify recommendations for a more effective use of ICTs in the fight against Ebola.
Dr Touré stated: “The ICT Sector is critical in dealing with the Ebola threat. ICTs are already being used by ITU and its partners to support awareness raising and emergency communications, and immediate challenge is to ensure regulatory barriers are removed to facilitate deployment and use of telecommunications applications for the purpose of saving lives.
ITU has already deployed satellite terminals to support ongoing efforts and is currently developing new applications in close cooperation and coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).