Through this project, international travellers will be better informed about health risks in their destinations. Before they travel, they can find out if any vaccination is required for the destination country, and if there has been any recent outbreak of infectious diseases. With this information they can take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from contracting infectious diseases which can sometimes quickly pose threat to a large population. Destinations where accommodation is of poor quality, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, medical services do not exist, and clean water is unavailable may pose serious risks for the health of travellers. In these settings, stringent precautions must be taken to avoid illness. The mashup can provide such information to travellers. The impact of this awareness can be immense considering the volume and growth of international travel. World Travel Monitor data shows that air travel now accounts for some 52% of all outbound trips globally and there were 846 million international arrivals in 2006. And holidays account for more than two-thirds of all trips. According to the World Tourism Organization (http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/MesseBerlin/htdocs/www.fair.i...) the growth in travel continues to exceed expectations; a 5.7 % increase was forecast for 2007 alone. With such increasing travel, the risk of a rapid spread of infectious diseases is real. And the strategy to prevent it has to include steps to ensure health protection of international travellers.

This project aims to decrease transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, among urban youth by using mobile technology to convey critical sexual health information.

The SexINFO text messaging service was originally launched in 2006 by ISIS, Inc and the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health to address rising rates of gonorrhea and clamydia among African-American youth. Youth interviewed agreed that mobile phones were an easy, affordable and private way to reach them with sensitive health information.

By providing basic facts about STDs and HIV, along with clinic resources and testing sites, hours, and phone contact information, the project aims to decrease rates of STD transmission among at-risk urban youth.