Hackers build tools to combat Ebola


Students attempted to increase access to information and doctor-patient communication regarding the Ebola epidemic at a hackathon hosted at the Polytechnic School of Engineering.

Their goal was to respond to the challenge made by government agency USAID and technology platform OpenIDEO to create tools for fighting the disease. The hack session lasted from morning to evening on Sunday, Nov. 2.

The six teams, which comprised two to six students, created solutions using open source materials to promote universal accessibility to their creations. Many of the projects were focused around the use of SMS to coordinate Ebola treatment because of its ease of use and widespread access, even in developing countries.

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