Global Health and Natural Disaster Alerts: Preparing Mobile Phones to Endure the Unthinkable

Abstract

We just celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first call made from a mobile phone (BBC 2013). Since then, an extraordinary technological revolution has been unleashed, enabling three-quarters of the world population (and much of the developing world) to have access to this powerful communication device at all times (The World Bank 2012). Nowadays, more people in the world have access to mobiles than to basic sanitation. Almost everywhere, individuals are in constant contact with peers, family, business partners, service providers and an ever growing number of information sources.