Mark Zuckerberg made headlines last month by donating $25 million to fight Ebola—and now his company is getting into the act, too. Facebook announced yesterday that it will be donating 100 satellite communication terminals to boost Internet and phone services in West Africa, ground zero for the epidemic. Why do Ebola victims need more bars, you ask? Public health and medical relief experts say that, just as truth is the first casualty of war, information is a critical weapon against disease. Spreading reliable information on new cases, treatment, and prevention will be key to ending the outbreak in West Africa.
And they’re making it easy for you and all your capital-F Friends to help too, by adding a one-click button though which you can donate to one of three leading charities working in the hot zone.
Facebook isn't the only company trying to help. What follows are some of the most surprising—and, in some instances, puzzling—donations to help stem the spread of the disease in West Africa.