Vodafone Foundation has announced that Vodafone will be using it’s mobile data to track and control epidemics, in Ghana.
This they say will help prevent a repeat of the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
Vodafone Foundation made this announcement during a pioneering program on Monday.
The initiative according to Vodafone will use aggregated anonymized mobile data to track real-time trends in population movement.
They explained that the level of activity at each mobile phone mast will provide a heat map of where people are.
As well as how far they are moving during an outbreak, while the data gathered will be used for decision-making in a number of areas.
This includes the health, agriculture and transportation sector.
Vodafone Group External Affairs Director Joakim Reiter said the company would use its mobile technology and data to measure human mobility and model how infections spread.
He mentioned that the initiative could save many lives if executed well.
“This has the potential to save thousands of lives,” Reiter said.
According to him, the program, will be launched later this year.
He also added that it will be funded by the Vodafone Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Vodafone Foundation said.
