Open-source software could transform response to disease outbreaks and natural disasters. "8 cases suspect avian influenza." "3 in second village." "Suspect AI outbreak in Stung Treng." "Close access to village." "Is school open?" "Does anyone have a car?" This stream of text messages was sent by health officials, field scientists, police and local villagers. They were testing a social-networking approach to tackling an outbreak during an influenza pandemic planning exercise in Stung Treng Province, Cambodia, last October
"8 cases suspect avian influenza."
"3 in second village."
"Suspect AI outbreak in Stung Treng."
"Close access to village."
"Is school open?"
"Does anyone have a car?"
This stream of text messages was sent by health officials, field scientists, police and local villagers. They were testing a social-networking approach to tackling an outbreak during an influenza pandemic planning exercise in Stung Treng Province, Cambodia, last October.
They were helping to test and refine GeoChat, one of a suite of three open-source software tools designed to help respond better and faster to disease outbreaks and natural disasters.
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The software was unveiled last week by InSTEDD (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters), a non-profit organization based in Palo Alto, California. The company was founded in 2006 with donations from philanthropic bodies such as Google.org and The Rockefeller Foundation in New York.
Article continues: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090325/full/news.2009.187.html
