By Gary Selnow, Ph.D.; Edited by Allison Kozicharow
Today, WiRED International is releasing the first of seven animations designed to help communities prepare for an expected surge of infectious diseases in low-resource countries. Animations are one element in a significant collection of initiatives that WiRED is launching in the wake of abrupt U.S. government budget cuts that have severely reduced the global supply of essential medicines and vaccines and damaged health infrastructures.
Scientific and public health communities are sounding the alarm, warning that these funding cuts pose a grave threat, potentially unraveling years of global health progress and leading to a significant increase in preventable illness and death, with far-reaching global repercussions. Tragically, in less than six months since the cuts, thousands have already perished due to a lack of medicines. Soon, the absence of vaccines is projected by health experts to escalate infection rates to unprecedented global levels.
Animation: Infectious
Disease Basics
With the backdrop that prevention is a crucial defense against the inevitable wave of diseases in low-resource countries, this six-minute animation teaches schoolchildren and families the basics of infectious diseases, detailing their three main causes: 
bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The animation shows how these pathogens harm the body and provides clear, actionable steps for disease prevention. Light and engaging, the animation lays the groundwork for a seven-part series that will further empower vulnerable populations to strengthen community health, even in the absence of once readily available medicines and vaccines.
Recognizing these approaching dangers as soon as cuts were announced, WiRED designed a plan to empower affected populations through disease prevention education. While other organizations address various outcomes of these cuts, our approach as health educators focuses on teaching individuals how to minimize threats through prevention. Our long-standing motto, “community health begins with knowledge,” has been retooled for these urgent times to: “community survival begins with knowledge.”
This brings us to today’s release of our initial animation, which explains the fundamentals of infectious diseases. It’s tailored for young people and families, aiming to spark widespread discussions about disease prevention based on scientific facts.
Expanding Our Education Resources and Strengthening
Our Community Health Worker (CHW) Teams
Six additional animations in this series are currently under development and will be released over the coming months. These crucial topics include:
Water Purification and Oral Rehydration Therapy- Sanitation and Hygiene
- Healthy Living
- Cholera Prevention and Treatment
- Malaria Prevention
- HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Avoidance
As we describe below, animations are just one of five key programs WiRED has implemented to address the anticipated rise in infectious diseases. Our other initiatives are specifically designed to strengthen local health worker teams. This is crucial because, in addition to cutting medicines and vaccines, U.S. budget reductions have weakened health systems and disrupted vital surveillance and emergency response agencies that aid the sick and alert officials to disease outbreaks. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNAIDS and numerous medical schools and agencies have all underscored the urgent need to fortify health infrastructures, which will face immense pressure in the months and years ahead. WiRED is preparing CHWs to augment the strained physician and nursing corps, which have always been in short supply in low-resource regions. CHWs are well positioned to integrate as critical components of the larger health care network.
WiRED’s professional-level training programs have a proven track record, with CHWs demonstrating exceptional effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now significantly expanding our efforts to increase the number and enhance the skills of CHWs globally by:
Training More CHWs: We are boosting our commitment and support to increase the number of basic CHW training classes in vulnerable regions.- Developing Advanced Training: We are creating a 15-module Advanced CHW Training program that will elevate CHW preparedness to a new level, open to all certified CHWs worldwide.
- Launching a Mental Health Series: Recognizing the serious physical and mental impact of funding cuts, this seven-part series is specifically designed for CHWs to utilize in their outreach efforts.
- Expanding Continuing Medical Education (CME): We are inviting all CHWs globally to enroll in our expanded CME program. Our innovative new app, HealthMAP, is a unique tool that delivers CME programs directly to CHWs everywhere, regardless of where they received training.
Final Thoughts
The World Health Organization, universities and medical schools agree that the drastic funding cuts will lead to or already have yielded an HIV/AIDS resurgence, along with outbreaks of malaria, tuberculosis and cholera. The cuts have weakened health systems, disrupted surveillance functions and emergency responses and elevated global health security risks. As COVID reminds us, the United States is part of the globe and we aren’t invincible or safe from outbreaks in other countries.
Global health experts recommend a number of strategies to address the lack of medicines and vaccines, and WiRED directly addresses many of these through our five-part program of health education. By training new CHWs, expanding the skills of all CHW and providing a rigorous, cost-free CME program, we prepare a workforce that can provide significant assistance to low-resource communities. They increase real-time monitoring of health conditions and provide preventive care and screenings and basic health services. Topping the list, they offer one of the most effective interventions in community health: educating communities in disease prevention. CHWs provide the training then the monitoring necessary to encourage community members to exercise the provisions of infection control.
Today, WiRED releases an animation on Infectious Disease Basics, which launches a rigorous, comprehensive and effective program to help prepare vulnerable communities with the knowledge people need to help defend themselves against the wave of infectious diseases that will inevitably result from the thoughtless slashing of funds for global health.
All of WiRED’s programs in low-resource countries are entirely free to users. We rely on the donated time of our remarkable volunteers and generous donations from supporters who care about people often overlooked by policymakers. If you’re able to support our efforts, please consider making a donation. Fully 95% of all donations directly fund our programs, with the remaining few percent covering essential government-required accounting. We spend nothing on administration or fundraising.
Federica Sismondo, Animator
Federica Sismondo is a freelance 3D artist and motion graphics designer with over two decades of experience. Originally from Italy, she now resides in Copenhagen. Her expertise spans 3D modeling, animation, projection mapping and post-production, with her graphics work frequently featured in theaters, live events and television. Notably, Federica’s extensive credits include projection mapping on Disney castles in both Anaheim and Paris.
Several years ago, she created an impactful rheumatic heart disease animation for WiRED, which has since educated tens of thousands about the disease, its causes, and prevention. Federica now dedicates her considerable skills to WiRED’s mission, helping millions in low-resource regions understand infectious diseases and how to prevent them.
