Key Web Stories
“WiRED, an international organization dedicated to bringing the resources of the Internet to war-ravaged places like Kosovo, launched its innovative “Video Visit” program on Thursday, November 16. The project enables families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment in European hospitals to make “live” visits via Internet-linked video.”
2002
A Journey Across The Miles: Three Boys Reunited with Their Families
“The first launch of the Video Visit program took place in November between two young boys in the Hospital of Pisa and their families in a computer center in Pristina, Kosovo. On January 8, WiRED launched its second installment of the Video Visit program. This video link occurred between Tirana, Albania and Pisa, Italy.”
2002
Medtronic Foundation Underwrites WiRED Community Health Information Centers in Croatia and Bosnia
“WiRED and the Medtronic Foundation have teamed up to expand WiRED’s humanitarian programs in Bosnia and Croatia. Medtronic, an international medical technology corporation, supports community programs that enhance and extend the lives of millions of people worldwide.”
2003
WiRED Participates in Symposium at the UN
“Sponsored by the International Professional Interest Section of the Public Relations Society of America, the meeting drew media and communication specialists from around the county to examine global communication problems that surfaced after the World Trade Center attack and swelled after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. “
2003
Paradox Amid the Rubble (originally published in The Chronicle of Higher Education – August 8, 2003)
“The room at the Al Kadhymia Teaching Hospital in Iraq had bars on the windows, lots of electrical outlets, and plenty of space to accommodate computers. I was traveling with an American computer technician and an Iraqi physician in May on a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to create medical-information centers at teaching hospitals and medical schools throughout the country.”
2005
WiRED Executive Director Visits Iraq
“Despite the reality that it has become too dangerous for most NGOs to continue their work in Iraq, WiRED’s programs in the war-torn country are gaining momentum as critical resources for the Iraqi medical community. This November, WiRED executive director Gary Selnow had the opportunity to survey WiRED’s efforts in Iraq—namely, the extension of the Medical Information Center (MIC) program to 39 facilities; the addition of a critical telemedicine component (T/Ms), which will allow medical educators to “”visit”” Iraqi medical schools; and the advancement of several programs that, if funding can be found, will enable WiRED to expand assistance to the medical community and the people of Iraq.”
2006
WiRED receives grant from the Medtronic Foundation for medical education in Serbia and Kosovo
The Medtronic Foundation announced in early August that it will provide a humanitarian grant to support WiRED’s medical education work in Serbia and Kosovo. This grant will continue the Medtronic Foundation’s generous underwriting of WiRED’s Medical Information Centers in the former Yugoslavia. It will cover new equipment and installation and share in the operating costs for medical content.
2006
Groundbreaking launch links hospitals in Baghdad and San Francisco
“Technicians on opposite sides of the globe celebrated the success of equipment tests for WiRED’s telemedicine program with a face-to-face meeting on January 17, 2006.”
2009
Clayton’s story
“Soon after Kate Mayer started her work with WiRED, we all learned that her 13-year-old son, Clayton, had biphenotypic leukemia, a particularly rare form of the disease.”
2010
WiRED Connects Five New Medical Information Centers in Central America
“When orthopedic surgeon Dr. Juaquin Corvera diagnoses a patient and performs the necessary surgery, his long experience generally enables him to handle the procedures deftly. So, over the years his training and firsthand experience have served him and his patients well.”
2011
WiRED Begins Ambitious Project in the Amazon
“WiRED just took a giant step towards ramping up its Community Health Information (CHI) Center programs in South America with a new project in Peru. WiRED Director Gary Selnow, Ph.D. recently returned from visiting the small village of Galilea, deep in the Amazon jungle.”
2013
WiRED International Debuts Polio Module As Polio Makes a Comeback in Five Countries
“As polio resurfaces in five countries, including Kenya, the fight for the worldwide eradication of this highly infectious and potentially deadly disease is suffering a setback.”
2016
Kenyan Teen Learns about Health from WiRED International
“Daniel Odhiambo Ogolollo is a 16-year-old Kenyan whose favorite game is soccer and whose dream is to be an accountant. Since 2013 he has been visiting the KUAP-Pandipieri Community Health Education Center in Kisumu, a city on the edge of Lake Victoria in northwest Kenya. Along with thousands of people in and around Kisumu who visit the center — a resource provided without cost — Daniel learns about health issues from WiRED International’s health education modules.”
2016
Sixty-Two Kenyans Graduate from WiRED International’s Certificate Program
“WiRED International’s Certificate Program continues to attract community members in Kisumu, Kenya. Recently, 62 people earned certificates for completing modules from WiRED’s Health Learning Center of more than 380 topics. Among the more popular modules are HIV/AIDS Basic Information and Treatment, Malaria, Malaria for Health Workers, Family Planning, STIs and Asthma.”
2017
WiRED International Wraps Up Its 20th Year, Prepares to Begin a Third Decade
The WiRED International team celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and chalked up a number of accomplishments it made to advance the life-saving health education — which it provides at no charge to people in underserved communities around the world.
2018
WiRED Awards First-Ever Mother and Child Certificates in Kenya
“This September in Kisumu, Kenya, WiRED International graduated its inaugural class of recipients of the Faye Cohen Certificate for Mother and Child Health (M&CH).”
2018
WiRED Launches Breakthrough Health Module Access Program (HealthMAP)
“HealthMAP will enable clinicians, healthcare workers, medical schools and members of the general public to select and download health education modules from WiRED’s Health Learning Center. They can install these modules on their computers and create their own customized libraries for personal study and for presentations to community groups that lack online capability. “
“We at WiRED International observe Earth Day this year with heightened concern. As WiRED’s health education work focuses increasingly on the One Health perspective — the interaction among human, animal and environmental health — we become ever more watchful of policies that impact air, land and water, because they, in turn, affect human health.”
2018
WiRED Honors Contributions to Health Training in Armenia
“Today, poverty, scarce healthcare resources and the lack of reliable medical information are creating a healthcare crisis for the people of Armenia, and WiRED International is responding to their needs. In May, 24 Armenian volunteers and organizations received certificates of appreciation for accomplishments such as translating 18 WiRED health learning modules into Armenian, offering training sessions and generally promoting the partnership of WiRED-Armenia and WiRED International.”
“Yen-Len Tang, M.D., a pediatrician with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, recently returned from Haiti, where he regularly provides volunteer medical care in the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles. WiRED International first partnered with Dr. Tang in 2015, when he used WiRED’s health learning modules for his presentations at the facility’s daily medical conferences. It was several years after the devastating 7.0 earthquake; recovery was slow, the staff had no access to medical texts, and online access was difficult.”
2019
Two Kenyans with WiRED Certificates Promote Health in Their Communities
“Thadeus Oduor Okello and Martha Mwikali are two community health workers (CHWs) serving vulnerable populations in Kisumu, located in Western Kenya, near Lake Victoria, about 70 miles from the Ugandan border. Recently they both earned WiRED International’s Gold Certificate while at the KUAP Pandipieri clinic in Kisumu and wrote testimonials about their experiences with WiRED”
2019
Risper Adhiambo, a Holder of WiRED’s Mother and Child Certificate, Trains Women in Her Community
“Risper Adhiambo recently earned WiRED International’s Faye Cohen Certificate for Mother and Child Health (M&CH). Ms. Adhiambo lives in Kisumu, located in Western Kenya, near Lake Victoria, about 70 miles from the Ugandan border.”
2019
Why Schools Need to Offer Health Training WiRED’s Modules Strengthen Health Education
“WiRED International’s goal is to help educate communities on health issues relevant to their daily lives. WiRED’s 400+ health learning modules can be essential assets to a student’s education in middle and high school. This article discusses nine reasons why WiRED’s modules can benefit schools.”
2019
WiRED-Armenia’s Programs Continue to Grow. Training held for New Representatives
“Last month the WiRED–Armenia team conducted a training in Yerevan, Armenia, for members joining the program and establishing new health centers in their respective communities throughout the country. The meeting comprised trainings on polio and on quitting tobacco, two health issues crucial to Armenians.”
“This is one of WiRED’s early articles to describe the potential global significance of the Covid virus. Soon declared a pandemic by the WHO, Covid became the focus of many community health programs developed by WiRED. They continue today in training modules, Web story reports and WiRED’s major Community Heath Worker program. For several weeks now, world health agencies and media outlets have been informing the public about the risks and spread of the coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — first discovered in late December in China’s Hubei Province.”
2020
WiRED Completes First Field Test of CHW Training Program
“The WiRED International team completed the first field test of our Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program this week in Kisumu, Kenya. More than two years in the making, WiRED Executive Director Gary Selnow, Ph.D., said, “The comprehensive content and the delivery aspects of this basic community health worker training program make it the first of its kind anywhere in the world.””
“Two years ago, WiRED made it easy for millions of people using Mac and Windows to download our health training modules — for free. Our innovative Health Module Access Program (HealthMAP) has just added an app for Android users opening HealthMAP to millions more, allowing free module downloads to smart phones, tablets and laptops.”
2020“WiRED International has worked with Sister Bernadette Nealon at the Pandipieri and Obunga health centers in Kisumu, Kenya, for almost 20 years. This article offers a letter WiRED’s Director, Dr. Gary Selnow, received from Sr. Bernadette in which she describes the effect of the coronavirus crisis on the people she serves.”
2020
An Editor’s Word about WiRED’s Website. Get Free Health Information and More
“COVID-19, climate change, neglected tropical diseases, recently released health education modules and videos on our work, a new smartphone app — these are all topics of recent stories posted on WiRED International’s website. WiRED’s editorial staff plan our web stories around a variety of subjects. Our aim is to promote our organization’s mission to bring vital medical and health education, free of charge, to underserved communities around the world.”
“Community Health Workers in Kisumu, Kenya set a target of reaching more than 8,000 people in Kisumu County. So far, in April and May, the team carried out the following activities.”
2020
WiRED CHW Training Program Debuts in India. Nursing Instructors Report Success
“A group of students in the Tamil Nadu region of India, led by senior nursing instructors from the area, are in their final week of WiRED’s accredited and comprehensive course. The class is usually taught face-to-face, as was the case in Kenya; however, during this coronavirus pandemic, WiRED adapted the training to be taught online and expanded the program to reflect the pandemic-heightened demand for CHWs.”
“WiRED International’s community health workers (CHWs) in Kisumu, Kenya, continue to play an essential role in community education, providing advice on health issues as well as necessary referrals. In the final week of August, 14 CHWs reached 1,686 people, covering topics such as unsafe drinking water, COVID-19 and teenage pregnancy.”
2020
WiRED Announces Release of Documentary. The Lifesaving Mission of Community Health Workers.
“WiRED International is pleased to announce the release of a documentary, “Community Health Begins with Knowledge.” The film, shot on location in Kisumu, Kenya, introduces WiRED’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program and demonstrates how the workers provide a critical link between underserved communities and the outside healthcare system.”
2020
WiRED Launches CHW Training Program in Nicaragua
“WiRED International announces the launch of our Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program in Nicaragua. The effort, part of a five-country research program, follows the successful CHW project already tested in communities in Kenya and India; training is near completion in Peru, and will begin in Armenia in early 2021.”
2020
Donation in Memory of Edie L. Hodge Funds WiRED’s CHW Program in Peru
“WiRED International is pleased to announce that WiRED’s recent Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program in Peru was underwritten by Board member Anthony Hodge and his family in loving memory of Edie L. Hodge, his beloved wife, and mother of Dick, Jane and Kate.”
2020
WiRED Launches Continuing Medical Education App. Crucial Tool for Community Health Workers
“Meet WiRED International’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) Tracking Application! This program (we call CHWE—continuing health worker education) enables CHWs to reinforce their knowledge and learn new skills.”
2020
Sunshine-Mitzvah Fund Feeds Families in Kisumu Slums. Groceries Bought with Small Contributions.
“This December members of the WiRED International community contributed “lunch money” donations to the Sunshine-Mitzvah Fund in order to purchase groceries and Christmas treats for more than 200 families in Kisumu, Kenya, where our community health workers provide their medical and health services.”
“WiRED International brought our Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program to Kisumu, Kenya, in 2020. Amidst a severe public health crisis, in December alone, the CHWs attended to 6,353 people in 11 Kenyan communities. “
“Denis Onyango and Steve Wonder are longtime staff members at the WiRED International medical and health education center located in the informal settlements or slums in Obunga, Kenya. What follows are their testimonials on the impact that WiRED-trained community health workers are having on their community.”
2021“On Monday, March 15, 2021, WiRED launched the first class of our Vaccinator Training Program (VTP) in Obunga, Kenya. Nurse Winnie Nafula and clinician Zablon Kitoli are leading the instruction. Twenty-six students are taking the 45 hours of training, after which they will sit for a final exam, and, if successful, will receive a WiRED certificate.”
2021
WiRED Vaccinator Train-the-Trainer Launched in Uganda and Liberia
“WiRED International launched the train-the-trainer portion of our Vaccinator Training Program (VTP) on July 6, when lead medical trainers in Kisumu, Kenya, communicated by Zoom with medical professionals in Naguru, Uganda. A participant in Liberia also joined the session.”
“Each person on WiRED International’s Board brings a remarkable set of skills and experiences to address our mission of saving lives through health education. Each member has stories to tell, and one of them is from Stephen Browning.”
2022
WiRED’s Continuing Medical Education Program. A Bedrock of Community Health Worker Training.
“As WiRED International broadens Community Health Worker (CHW) training, we are also refining our CME program — which follows the World Health Organization requirement that, after basic training, CHWs annually earn CME credits. WiRED’s CME program enables CHWs, nurses and other healthcare personnel to maintain their currency and expand their skills in basic medical procedures and community health issues.”
“WiRED International is proud to announce the graduation of our second community health worker (CHW) training class in Kisumu, Kenya. The new group of 16 finished the challenging 140-hour course, based on World Health Organization guidelines, and every student took and passed the final exam to receive a course completion certificate.”
2022
Role of Community Health Workers in Kenya Expands with Donation of TB Diagnostic Equipment.
“WiRED International is pleased to report the donation of an X-ray machine and a TrueNat molecular tuberculosis testing machine to the KUAP-Pandipieri clinic in Kisumu, Kenya, where WiRED community health workers (CHWs) are headquartered. The gift resulted from a partnership between the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the Kenya AIDS Response Programme.”
2022
WiRED Releases Vision Screening Module. An Important Addition to Community Health Worker Training
“With the release of WiRED’s Vision Screening module, designed expressly for them, CHWs can now offer basic eye screening.”
“WiRED International is happy to announce the completion of the first WIRED community health worker (CHW) training to take place in Liberia, West Africa. The project resulted from a partnership between WiRED and the Vulnerable Empowerment Foundation International Liberia Inc. (VEFIL).”
“Last June WiRED International trumpeted the graduation of our second community health worker (CHW) class in Kisumu, Kenya. Today we are pleased to announce that 10 CHWs from that class have been deployed in the field, joining the original team, now forming a substantial CHW crew of 22 strong.”