T.e.r.a: trilogy emergency relief application
What is it?
- TERA is a mobile phone application used by Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
- It allows for two way communication between relief workers and individuals impacted by disaster and crisis.
- It was created after mobile phone use proved to be effective after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
- 100 million SMS messages have been sent to aid in issues concerning health and natural disaster.
- 36,000 people an hour can be reached
- Since January of 2010 more than 3 million people have been reached by the service.
- The system is currently being expanded to reach 40 countries, which are categorized as the most susceptible to disaster.
- In the past, relief organizations had to wait days or even weeks to receive sufficient data to plan relief efforts.
How is it two way?
Outgoing messages:
Incoming messages:
- Warn individuals of incoming natural disasters
- Instruct individuals on where to go and how to respond in times of disaster. These instructions direct individuals to specific locations where clean water, food and shelter is available.
- Information concerning vaccines, injury treatment and hygiene may also be sent to promote public health.
Incoming messages:
- The system scans messages for keywords and sends automated responses.
- The coordinates of SMS text messages are compiled to map out relief efforts and highlight the areas with the highest concentration of need. This makes aid far more efficient and faster.
Citations:
Center for Health Market Innovations , "Trilogy Emergency Response Application (TERA) [Technology Provider]." Accessed December 14, 2013. http://healthmarketinnovations.org/program/trilogy-emergency-response-application-tera-technology-provider.
IRIN, "How technology is transforming emergency preparedness." Last modified August 16, 2013. Accessed December 3, 2013. http://m.irinnews.org/Report/98584/How-technology-is-transforming-emergency-preparedness.
International Federation of Red Cross , "TERA (Trilogy Emergency Relief Application) and Beneficiary Communication." Accessed December 16, 2013. http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/beneficiary-communications/tera/.
Medecins Sans Frontiers , "Guinea and Sierra Leone: Cholera epidemic escalates." Last modified August 20, 2012. Accessed December 12, 2013. http://www.msf.org/article/guinea-and-sierra-leone-cholera-epidemic-escalates.
Center for Health Market Innovations , "Trilogy Emergency Response Application (TERA) [Technology Provider]." Accessed December 14, 2013. http://healthmarketinnovations.org/program/trilogy-emergency-response-application-tera-technology-provider.
IRIN, "How technology is transforming emergency preparedness." Last modified August 16, 2013. Accessed December 3, 2013. http://m.irinnews.org/Report/98584/How-technology-is-transforming-emergency-preparedness.
International Federation of Red Cross , "TERA (Trilogy Emergency Relief Application) and Beneficiary Communication." Accessed December 16, 2013. http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/beneficiary-communications/tera/.
Medecins Sans Frontiers , "Guinea and Sierra Leone: Cholera epidemic escalates." Last modified August 20, 2012. Accessed December 12, 2013. http://www.msf.org/article/guinea-and-sierra-leone-cholera-epidemic-escalates.