The Artibonite district in Haiti is where cholera epidemic first struck. In order the prevent the disease from spreading the Red Cross is using mobile technology to track and blast more than 70,000 people migrating from Artibonite to other parts of the country in the next week.

Today, for instance, 30,000 cell phone users in the Artibonite district will get this message:

Kwa Wouj: Bwe seròm oral pou ka trete dyare. Yon lit dlo trete, 8 ti kiyè sik, 1/2 ti kiyè sèl.

That means: “Drink ORS (oral rehydration solution) to treat diarrhea. One liter of treated water, 8 teaspoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt.”

According to NPR: “And though the epidemiologists don’t know their identities, they are sending those people text messages to call a free number. If they do, they’ll learn about how to avoid spreading the disease and what to do if they get infected. That’s crucial if authorities are to keep this epidemic bottled up.”