WiRED International’s board of directors and volunteers are saddened to note the death of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph.D., aged 87 on October 20, 2021, at his home in Claremont California. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi was best known for writing Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, which reflected his research into creativity and focus. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi sat on WiRED’s Honorary Board.
WiRED International announces the successful completion of our first class in vaccinator training in Monrovia, Liberia, in early September. The Liberia training now joins Kenya and Uganda, where WiRED’s Vaccinator Training Program has already been launched.
Malaria has plagued humankind from Neolithic times to the modern day. Now, with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approval of the first vaccine to prevent malaria, there is hope to drastically reduce the numbers of cases and deaths from this ancient disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has nearly tripled globally since 1975. Except for a few medical conditions, overweight and obesity are preventable and result from poor eating habits, unhealthy body fat distribution and lack of physical activity.
WiRED International now offers a module on overweight and obesity. WiRED’s health education course defines these conditions and their signs, causes, health consequences, genetic, behavioral and risk factors, in addition to treatment.
Air pollution. We have been living with it ever since we began burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, cause temperatures to rise and produce chemicals and particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals and plants. A pivotal part to stopping climate change is reducing air pollution.
Throughout Africa, and in nearly all low-income regions around the world, community health workers (CHWs) augment the professional medical corps by offering critical medical and public health services. They provide community health education, basic clinical services, health surveillance, mother and child assistance and much more.
Early in 2020. WiRED International inaugurated our CHW Training Program to teach local people in Kisumu, Kenya, about health basics, patient assessment, clinical issues, health teaching and monitoring.
World Heart Day is September 29 — which serves to raise awareness and information about heart well-being, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
WiRED International contributes to the understanding of heart health by offering a wealth of materials on the subject, from providing basic information for general audiences to training nurses in the echocardiographic diagnosis of heart diseases.
The double punch of COVID-19 and dengue outbreaks is endangering health care in dengue-endemic countries such as Brazil, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.
The overlapping of the two diseases presents a challenge for accurate diagnosis and treatment because both infections initially share similar symptoms. Dengue programs have been halted in many countries as efforts are focused on stopping COVID-19. Funds for dengue routine vector control and mosquito netting have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital beds are in short supply.
What is long-haul COVID-19?
Long-haul COVID-19 — Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection — occurs when patients who have been infected with the virus experience new, recurring or ongoing symptoms four or more weeks after infection, sometimes after initial symptom recovery. These post-virus conditions constitute a lack of return to a usual state of health after the COVID-19 illness. Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, “brain fog,” sleep disorders, fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety and depression. They can persist for months and range from mild to incapacitating. In some cases, new symptoms arise well after the time of infection or evolve over time.
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.
At 8:45 a.m. EST on September 11 2001, a hijacked jet slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. That same morning two more hijacked planes went down, one at the Pentagon and one in a field in Pennsylvania. In the aftermath almost 3,000 people died in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. This September 11th Americans will mark the 20th anniversary of the event that so tragically and unexpectedly struck at the heart of the nation. What follows is Mr. Browning’s account about the part he played in the events of 9/11.