The GALAXY S3 Neo smartphones will be used in a UN project for the three worst-hit African countries. The donated smartphones are worth about US$1 million.
Update (23 October, 2014):
LG Electronics is also contributing 2,000 smartphones to the United Nations’ response to the deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
“We hope that our contribution will make a difference as the UN and NGOs fight on the front lines to improve healthcare, food security and sanitation in areas affected by the Ebola epidemic. This endeavor is representative of LG’s ongoing mission to use its technology to contribute toward resolving global issues,” said Choong-hak Lee, senior vice president and head of LG’s corporate social responsibility efforts.
The donated smartphones from LG will be provided to healthcare and other key personnel dispatched by the UN in the affected areas where they are urgently needed.
The smartphones will allow for fast and seamless communication between the teams on the ground, focusing on medical data gathering, monitoring and planning.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will facilitate the distribution of the mobile devices.
According to OCHA, almost one billion dollars will be needed to address the immediate humanitarian needs caused by the Ebola virus.
Almost 5,000 people have been infected with Ebola since the outbreak started in West Africa in March with more than 2,400 individuals having died across the region.
Support from LG and other international partners are critical to the UN’s efforts to stabilize the outbreak.
All donated smartphones will be destroyed once the virus outbreak has subsided.
The smartphones, to be donated through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA), will be used in the Humanitarian Connectivity Project, the UN’s IT project that utilises mobile devices to provide humanitarian support in disaster areas.
By installing the UN’s Smart Health Pro mobile application, medical staff can utilise the smartphones to treat patients and collect medical data, while quarantined patients can contact their families using the devices.
Samsung is also supporting various efforts to defeat Ebola in Africa.
These include providing financial support for the purchase of hazmat suits in Ghana and distribution of hand sanitisers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as launching an Ebola SMS text service in South Africa.
Tags: Congo, CSR, Ebola, Galaxy, Ghana, Guinea, LG, Liberia, S3 Neo, Samsung, Sierra Leone, smartphones, South Africa, UN