WiRED International hosted a reception at Scala’s Bistro in San Francisco, California, this October to mark another year of providing medical and health information programs to underserved communities around the world. Eighty-five people attended the event and talked about WiRED’s programs and mission with WiRED Board members and volunteers, many from the Bay Area.

WiRED International announces the launch of the Community Health Education Initiative in Honor of the late U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Board Chair Anthony Hodge and the ambassador’s sister, Anne Marguerite Stevens, M.D., Ph.D., unveiled the initiative during a recent WiRED reception in San Francisco, California. WiRED has established a special fund to underwrite this program, which began with generous contributions from Mr. Hodge and Dr. Stevens.

What is the first line of defense against almost all infectious diseases? Yes, that’s right — handwashing. Handwashing is key to the prevention of everything from the common cold to Ebola.

Flu season typically occurs between October and May. Have you gotten your flu shot yet? “Get vaccinated,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden, M.D., said. “That’s the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community against flu.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report upticks in global cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).

WiRED International recently has forged a partnership with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to develop educational modules on mesothelioma, a deadly cancer affecting the lungs, the peritoneal space, the heart, and/or the testicles, primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.

Translators without Borders just wrote an article on WiRED! Check it out here!

When Berkeley graduate student Thabani Nyoni went to Capetown, South Africa, to do a summer research project, he took WiRED International’s health education modules with him. Thabani, who first heard about WiRED at Berkeley, said he was “keen to be a part of this great health education program.”

Magdalyne Odhiso Onglinjo has done her homework, and it has paid off for her — and for her community. Because of all she has learned about health, she has earned a platinum certificate from WiRED International’s Certificate Program. She has taken 47 WiRED health education courses and has passed all the tests with a grade of 80% or higher.

Intensive blood pressure management may save lives, according to a federal clinical trial that was ended early in order to rush the findings to doctors and the general public.