Organization:Engineering World Health

Overview

Engineering World Health is a non-profit organization mobilizing the biomedical engineering community to improve the quality of health care in hospitals serving resource-poor communities of the developing world. EWH installs donated and new medical equipment, carries out equipment repairs, and trains to build local capacity to both manage and maintain sophisticated equipment. Engineering World Health was founded in 2001 by Robert Malkin and Mohammed Kiani in Memphis, TN and now serves a global community. 

To accomplish their goals EWH has a focus on two main program branches.  The first is the student programs which includes university Chapters, Kit builds, STEM volunteer teaching, the annual Design Competition, and the Summer Institute.  These programs raise awareness of how biomedical engineering can help solve global health challenges, and they work to engage the skills of engineering students from around the world to educate others and repair life-saving medical equipment in places like Rwanda, Tanzania, and Nicaragua. 

The other side of the EWH organization is the BMET Training programs. In collaboration with local partners in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, they create professional training programs that build in-country, self-sustaining bodies of biomedical engineering technicians (BMETs).  They work closely with local Ministries of Health, public hospitals, universities, and local engineers and doctors in order to build the network needed to sustain these training programs after the projects leave.  The BMET Training programs are based on a 3 year curriculum developed in partnership with Duke University and then tailored to each country’s needs. Engineering World Health sets up the programs but the ultimate goal is to turn them over to the local educators.  

Purpose

Engineering World Health has a long term goal to help build an international community of biomedical engineers with a free exchange of knowledge and information and, in building this community, to help end developing nations’ current dependence on developed nations for health technology and knowledge. A key part of their mission is the participation of students.  The innovation to raise the awareness of global health challenges is powered by the creative perspectives of students to find new solutions to old problems.  EWH strives to be recognized internationally as a leader in developing and introducing novel health care technologies for resource poor settings and mobilizing the biomedical engineering community to improve the quality of health care in developing countries.  Engineering World Health is also a global leader in providing students and volunteers with the life-changing experience of contributing to improving the lives in vulnerable communities.

Distinct Differences From Other Offerings

Engineering World Health occupies a unique niche in that no other organization exists focusing on biomedical engineering education.  They offer knowledge exchange and training of students/technicians from both the developed and the developing world in the service of improving health care delivery in the developing world.  The use of a two sided branch program within the organization offers distinct training opportunities not available through any other program. 

The student programs raise awareness on campuses of health care challenges in the developing world by providing support and advice to members who wish to evaluate and repair medical equipment donated to developing world hospitals, design appropriate technologies and the invaluable experience of traveling to developing countries to provide engineering support to local hospitals and schools.  The Engineering World Health design competition is also available exclusively to chapter members. 

The BMET training program fulfills another unique need by creating professional training programs to empower developing nations to solve in-country health crisis with sustainable program initiatives. 

Impact Achieved For Students and Campus

In exchange for an annual fee to support the local chapter, the EWH provides comprehensive packages of financial benefits, guidance on how to operate a chapter and manage numerous activities that are interesting, fun and beneficial to the community as well as technical support throughout the year. Chapter members are also eligible for consideration for travel awards to participate in joint activities with other chapters either domestically or in developing countries.

At University of California San Diego (UCSD) the EWH chapter is working in collaboration with the UCSD Center for AIDS Research and designing cost-effective lab equipment to run an HIV treatment analysis assay in resource limited settings. This nucleic acid test is used to detect drug resistant forms of HIV. By introducing methods of treatment surveillance to the developing world, the hope is to contain the spread of drug-resistant forms of HIV and preserve second and third lines of anti-retroviral medication. EWH at UCSD has begun work to design automated devices for viral RNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA amplification, and gel electrophoresis.    

EWH is in touch with groups around the world who are looking to form chapters.  The following universities currently have student chapters in good standing for the 2012-2013 academic year:

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Case Western Reserve University
• Clemson University
• Cornell University
• Duke University
• ITESM Chihuahua, Mexico
• ITESM Monterrey, Mexico
• Johns Hopkins University
• Lund University, Sweden
• Marquette University
• NIBE-Nigeria
• North Carolina State University
• Northwestern University
• Purdue University
• Stony Brook University
• Texas A&M University
• University of California, San Diego
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Michigan
• University of Portland
• University of Texas, Austin
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Western New England College
• Yemen University of Science and Technology