Google launched a campaign Monday to raise
money to fight Ebola, tossing $10 (roughly Rs.
61 crores) million into the pot and saying it will
match donations to the fund two to one.

In addition, Google chief executive and co-
founder Larry Page said his family's
foundation is contributing $15 million
(roughly Rs. 92 crores) to the cause.

"Our hearts go out to everyone whose lives
have been touched by this tragedy," Page said
in a blog post announcing the campaign.

Google started collecting contributions at the
website , where a message indicated that the
two-for-one dollar match would continue
until $7.5 million (roughly Rs. 46 crores)
more in donations were collected.

Groups targeted by the California-based
Internet titan to receive support included
InSTEDD, Medecins Sans Frontieres, NetHope,
and Save the Children.

The campaign comes less than a month after
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and
his wife announced they were donating $25
million (roughly Rs. 150 crores) to help US
efforts to contain the deadly Ebola epidemic.

"The Ebola epidemic is at a critical turning
point... It is spreading very quickly and
projections suggest it could infect one million
people or more over the next several months
if not addressed," Zuckerberg said on his
Facebook page.

"We need to get Ebola under control in the
near term so that it doesn't spread further and
become a long-term global health crisis that
we end up fighting for decades at large scale,
like HIV or polio."

He said he and his wife Priscilla were donating
the funds to the US Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) Foundation.

"Grants like this directly help the frontline
responders in their heroic work," Zuckerberg
said.

"These people are on the ground setting up
care centers, training local staff, identifying
Ebola cases and much more."

The Ebola virus has already killed more than
4,800 people, most in the West African
countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Underfunded health systems in the region have
been crippled by the disease, which has
spiraled out of control and infected more than
13,000 people.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in
September pledged $50 million (roughly Rs.
300 crores) to help boost the fight against the
Ebola outbreak, providing the funds to UN
agencies and international organizations
involved in the outbreak.
http://m.ndtv.com/article/gadgets/google-raising-money-to-fight-ebola-will-match-donations-two-to-one-619130