Facebook's new donate button. Image via newsroom.fb.com
Social network Facebook is allowing users to donate to charities fighting the deadly disease Ebola by adding a new button to their news feeds.
The feature allows users to send money to International Medical Corps, the Red Cross and Save the Children – three non-profit organisations operating on the ground in West Africa – as well as publically share what they have donated.
“At Facebook, we want to make sure we do our part to help in the fight against Ebola,” said company co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg via his own Facebook page.
In addition, the social network is providing internet connectivity in the region to assist aid workers in co-ordinating their efforts. The firm has also partnered with children’s charity UNICEF to help people in West Africa prevent, detect and treat the disease.
“Organisations involved in the fight against Ebola are using Facebook to raise funds for their relief efforts,” Facebook added in a statement. “We want to amplify these calls for action and help organisations raise awareness and connect directly with people around the world.”
Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan recently pledged US$25m to the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation to help fight the spread of Ebola. According to the World Health Organization, there have been more than 13,000 cases of the disease around the world.
