By Allison Kozicharow; Edited by Elizabeth Fine
Game-Changing News from WiRED International!
WiRED International has always offered our health education programs free to all. In 2020 we went beyond that general concept and developed a Community Health Worker (CHW) program that began by training paraprofessional CHW teams in Kisumu, Kenya.
Now, five years later, WiRED’s remarkable trio of experts (see sidebar) have created a feature-rich phone app that will open up our programs to a much wider audience. The app, employing several aspects of an earlier program (HealthMAP — Health Module Access Program), will give people in low-resource regions easy access — at no charge — to our 400+ professionally developed, peer-reviewed, evidence-based training modules covering a wide range of health-related topics.
While this renewed HealthMAP is available to everyone, portions of it are geared specifically to CHWs — providing a complete training curriculum and soon a continuing medical education program that will allow CHWs everywhere to fulfill their ongoing training requirements. So, the app serves several crucial objectives: health information for anyone who wants to learn about health and focused health training to prepare and maintain the skills of CHWs.
WiRED invites you to go to Google Play Store, download our new app (listed under HealthMAP), download a module and try it out! The one-minute video (see below) reviews the features of the app and describes characteristics of WiRED’s training modules.
Note that HealthMAP is for Android phones and not iPhones. Nearly all of our intended CHW audiences in underserved regions use Android-based phones. Apple phones aren’t available or affordable in these places . Most of the world (around 72%) uses Android, thus our focus (for now) is on this platform.
Follow our journey to see how this transformative initiative is driving better health outcomes globally. Together, we can support the vision of accessible health care for all and strengthen community health systems where they’re needed most!
Important note: In several weeks, WiRED will launch a new training program that uses the delivery features of this app. That training program expands the concept of CHWs to include a wide range of community members in low-resource environments. Check back for our launch story!
A Commentary
by Gary Selnow, Ph.D., WiRED Executive Director
WiRED International provides low-resource communities worldwide with two essential components: comprehensive health training content and innovative content delivery tools. We develop professional, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed training modules for community health workers (CHWs) while leveraging cutting-edge technology to make these modules accessible to those with limited access to CHW curricula or programs.
In 2024, while continuing to add new, professional health training modules to our library, WiRED’s volunteer IT team has significantly enhanced our delivery capacity, creating an app that allows instant, free access to all our health training programs. Users can simply download the app, browse the library, and download modules in a matter of minutes, all without registration requirements or costs. This streamlined process enables community leaders and members to initiate a CHW training program of their own quickly and easily — and to tailor it to their specific needs.
The new app represents a significant advancement in WiRED’s mission to improve global community health, especially in low-resource environments. By providing professional-level training through a cell phone-delivered curriculum, WiRED has made it possible for CHWs to carry valuable health education resources in their pockets. This innovative approach to CHW preparation bridges the gap between official health agencies and isolated populations, thus addressing a critical shortfall in fragile health systems.
WiRED’s commitment to free, accessible health education, combined with our use of technology, positions us uniquely in the field of global health education. Our work continues to make a substantial impact on underserved communities worldwide, empowering local populations with the knowledge and tools needed to improve community health. This new app takes our programs to a new level for people often overlooked by larger organizations and governments.
Meet WiRED’s Team of App Developers
All of us at WiRED wish to thank the dedicated IT team that developed the app we are launching today. Their collaboration has produced a critical tool that will allow people in low-resource communities everywhere to access community health worker training programs and other health resources directly on their mobile phones — instantly and for free. Thanks, gentlemen, for your significant efforts to make this app possible for WiRED’s global audiences.
Sean Bristol-Lee
Sean Bristol-Lee holds a doctor of physical therapy degree from the joint program offered by the University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco State University (SFSU) with an interest in helping patients regain mobility after debilitating strokes. Prior to his doctoral studies, Sean earned a master’s degree in cinema studies from SFSU, with a special interest in documentary and experimental film. He continued his graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Cinema and Media Studies program. To advance his interests in physical therapy and technology, Sean completed a certificate in Full Stack Web Development through UC Berkeley Extension. Most recently, Sean has focused on employing IT to provide healthcare services to underserved populations. He volunteered his time as the lead developer on WiRED’s new HealthMAP app, demonstrating his commitment to using his diverse skill set to improve healthcare accessibility.
Christopher Spirito
Chris Spirito is a nuclear cyber security consultant for Idaho National Laboratory (INL). He supports Nuclear-Cyber work programs with U.S. partners and is the cyber discipline lead for the Analytics and Innovation portfolio at the U.S. Department of Energy/the National Nuclear Security Administration. Prior to joining INL, Chris was the international cyber lead for the MITRE Corporation. He is also a WiRED board member and has created many programs for our organization over the years, notably our original HealthMAP app. He contributed to key portions of our new app.
Matt Lang