BBC launches WhatsApp Ebola service

The BBC has launched an Ebola public health
information service on WhatsApp, aimed at
users of the service in West Africa.
The service will provide audio, text message
alerts and images to help people get the latest
public health information to combat the spread
of Ebola in the region.
Content will be limited to three items a day,
and the service will be in English and French.
To subscribe, send 'JOIN ' via WhatsApp to +44
7702 348 651
To unsubscribe, send 'STOP ' via WhatsApp to
the same number.
Due to the volume of requests, it may take a
little time to be added or removed from the
service.
As the biggest "chat app" in use in Africa, the
platform is being used as a means of reaching
people in the region directly through their
mobile phones.
The response to Ebola is now the BBC World
Service's biggest health information drive since
its reporting on HIV/Aids in the 1980s and
1990s. In addition to the WhatsApp service, the
BBC is offering a range of content on radio,
online and TV, including special Ebola bulletins
in several languages.
The latest Ebola stories will also be covered on
the BBC social media accounts listed below:
Use WhatsApp to receive BBC health
information updates on Ebola
On Twitter:
@bbcafrica
@bbcafrique
On Facebook:
facebook.com/bbcafrica
facebook.com/bbcafrique