The Tanzania government, UNICEF www.unicefusa.org, and Push Mobile www.push.co.tz, a mobile communication company have signed a partnership to provide SMS aggregation services across all the available mobile networks in Tanzania. The partnership will reach over 10 million Tanzanian mobile users with life-saving information on cholera.
Tanzania is battling a major cholera outbreak which so far has affected nineteen regions in the country and Zanzibar. The outbreak started in Dar es Salaam in mid-August 2015, and is now stretching local capacities and resources which is having a huge economic impact.
The number of reported cases of cholera has climbed to over 11,500 and has claimed over 150 lives in Tanzania. The country totals around 30 million mobile phone subscribers, representing a mobile penetration of 68 percent.
As part of the agreement, Push Mobile and partners will also provide “Information on Demand” on cholera. Through this service, mobile users in Tanzania will be able to send keywords to obtain service and have access to the necessary information on how to deal with cholera.
“Through our partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health www.moh.go.tz, we hope to help communities acquire the knowledge needed to identify cholera symptoms and ways to treat cholera to prevent and stop transmission of the disease,” reports Freddie Manento, CEO for Push Mobile.