This post is written by Kunal D Patel, Medical Director at The iheed Institute.

iheedCrowd, an online animation platform where digital designers have the opportunity to create the next generation of health education content, has been launched by iheed.

For the first time ever, the site brings together digital designers who can, via animation, change the field of Global Health Education and training. This website is the first of its kind giving digital designers and animators the opportunity to contribute to health education and training, and in turn making a difference for those whose access to healthcare is non-existent.

The animations that are being produced are done so via a competition model, which allows for the storyboarding of health content. The best storyboards are made into full animations under the guidance of health experts, and are awarded cash prizes.

iheedCrowd is already being seen as an exciting educational platform with partnerships being formed with groups such as Toon Boom Animation, ConceptShare, Comource and the International VFX hub. Developing a global animation library is a major part of the online platform, with animations already having been developed for topics such as breastfeeding, and added by acclaimed animation producers and studios, such as Chocolate Moose Media and Buzzco Associates.

This library can then be utilized by mHealth platforms and operators for the training of health workers in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa, a fact already highlighted by the influential report, “Preparing The Next Generation Of Community Health Workers: The Power Of Technology For Training”.

iheed promotes innovation in health education and next generation training content as highlighted by mHealthEd, our annual summit, which this year was held in Cape Town in association with the GSMA.

At iheed, we identify, invest in and promote innovative health solutions for Community Health Workers (CHW). Many of the world’s poor seek help from healthcare providers, therefore, iheed bridges new world innovations with this crisis, bringing in new investment and convening leadership.

We recently published significant research for the sector which has been driving change and have assembled a community of leaders and practitioners who collectively work to enhance CHW capabilities, mobilizing information, next generation content and technology to promote community health practice and intervention.

Photo: Courtesy of iheed.