Bringing Care to Life
What We Do
Our mission is to improve health care and health outcomes, especially in low-resource settings, by developing videos that “bring to life” health care information known to save lives.
Meeting the Need
Frontline health workers provide the first and often the only care for millions of people around the globe. Often their training is minimal. And when training is available, it is often ineffective due to the emphasis on lectures and textbook learning that fail to provide demonstrations of hands-on procedures. We believe in the teaching power of video to change this paradigm, by providing an effective way to share knowledge, skills, and information across continents, cultures, and languages.
Video draws the eyes and ears to all the
subtleties that make for good skill acquisition,
and helps make learning “stick.”
These visual learning tools empower frontline workers, their patients, and whole communities by conveying critical information in a universally engaging way. By leveraging advances in internet and mobile technology,we can reach millions of people now—cost-effectively and across vast distances—making a powerful difference in global health. As more people gain access to mobile devices in the future, the potential is unlimited.
Our Approach to Video and Production Process
At the heart of our design process is an in-depth understanding of needs in underserved areas in Africa and Asia. During her time with MSF/Doctors Without Borders, founder Deb Van Dyke worked directly with frontline health workers and saw the needs and training gaps firsthand. Her experience guides the vision of GHMP’s practical and proven visual learning tools.
We feature live-action videos, with health workers and patients from around the world. The real life examples and familiar settings in our videos empower health workers to feel that they can follow the practices themselves (“I can do this here”).
Our videos convey health care information in a way that is easy to understand and remember. They are clear, practical, accurate, and vetted by our medical advisors. Real-life video has an exceptional ability to show clinical signs and the close-up detail essential to developing practical skills. Also, by capturing subtle nuances in facial expressions, live-action films are equally valuable in modeling the kindness and respect that health workers can convey to patients.
Our Reach
Worldwide Use
We produce high-quality teaching videos that are used worldwide:
- Available in 50 languages
- Streamed over 950 million times
- Downloads exceed 290,000
Viewership on social media, apps, and sharing of the videos in the field makes our reach many times greater.
Training Health Workers
Our videos are used as complementary training tools in both pre-service and in-service training, by health workers at all levels.
Practical and relevant to developing world realities, they are used by over 10,000 organizations, including UN groups, ministries of health, teaching institutions, hospitals, and NGOs large and small.
Teaching Communities
Films in each of our series are adapted to speak directly to patients, caregivers, and community members. They can be viewed in maternity wards, at home, or in hospital waiting rooms. We believe that if you can see it, you can learn it.
Many of our films are also available on our apps, Birth & Beyond, Learn Family Planning, and Practice Family Planning, on both Android phones and iPhones.
You all do some of the best work that I have ever seen. Because of your videos, policies have changed
in a hospital I volunteer at in the Dominican Republic.
— Valerie Goodman, RN, Lactation Consultant, USA
Our Projects
We develop our videos in series, each covering a critical area in global health. From birth to newborn care, from breastfeeding to early childhood nutrition, the series are comprehensive in scope, with short videos diving into micro-topics in detail.
In addition, our animated films provide timely and accessible information when an urgent public health crisis arises. Our animations are effective communication tools—making invisible germs visible so that people can easily grasp how disease is spread—within a simple engaging narrative.
An innovative and phenomenal effort to improve the health care delivery system worldwide. I am a national level trainer and have found [these videos] to be the most effective tool for easy understanding.
— Dr. Abu Zar Taizai, MPH, Health Department, Pakistan
Newborn Care Series
Our first videos address the high rates of very sick and dying newborns in developing countries by bringing to life the low-cost, low-tech interventions that can save most babies.
“[Helping Babies Breathe] is a great achievement … learners see the floppy, blue, unresponsive baby transformed into a lively, pink and breathing baby.”
– Dr. David Cundall
“[Helping Babies Breathe] is a great achievement … learners see the floppy, blue, unresponsive baby transformed into a lively, pink and breathing baby.”
– Dr. David Cundall
Childbirth Series
These videos cover normal birth practices, midwifery skills, and complications of childbirth, showcasing a midwifery approach to best-practice care.
“We have used your films in Africa, training nomadic women in safer practices for birth… The students LOVE your films. .. It is like being at the bedside or right in the room. They are memorable and so informative.”
-Patricia Manzon, Nomad Foundation
“We have used your films in Africa, training nomadic women in safer practices for birth… The students LOVE your films. .. It is like being at the bedside or right in the room. They are memorable and so informative.”
-Patricia Manzon, Nomad Foundation
Family Planning Series
These videos help women and their partners choose and use contraceptive methods that best fit their own needs, and help train providers to provide better care.
“Deciding about pregnancy should be by choices, not by chance. Having the information and means to do so is a basic human right.”
-Dr. Babatunde Osotimehim, Executive Director, UNFPA
“Deciding about pregnancy should be by choices, not by chance. Having the information and means to do so is a basic human right.”
-Dr. Babatunde Osotimehim, Executive Director, UNFPA
Diabetes Series
These videos provide key content on prevention and care that targets three global audiences: people with diabetes, frontline health workers, and the general public.
“Diabetes is one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st Century – and it’s hitting low- and middle-income countries the hardest.”
-World Diabetes Foundation
“Diabetes is one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st Century – and it’s hitting low- and middle-income countries the hardest.”
-World Diabetes Foundation
The Story of Coronavirus
This animated film was developed in response to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 with Yoni Goodman, in collaboration with CDC, IFRC, and UNICEF. It helps people see and understand how it spreads and how to protect themselves and others.
“Valuable, factual & beautiful contribution to COVID prevention, protection & treatment!”
– Carole Parker
“Valuable, factual & beautiful contribution to COVID prevention, protection & treatment!”
– Carole Parker
Our Mobile Applications
We have created three apps that give users the ability to stream or download our videos to their smartphones. They are available on both the Google Play store and iPhone App store..
“As a midwife teaching antenatal classes, I ALWAYS recommend that women download this amazing app [Birth & Beyond]. Fantastic videos and great information.”
– Rachel (midwife)
“As a midwife teaching antenatal classes, I ALWAYS recommend that women download this amazing app [Birth & Beyond]. Fantastic videos and great information.”
– Rachel (midwife)
The Story of Ebola
This beautifully illustrated animated film—produced in collaboration with IFRC, UNICEF, and Yoni Goodman—was produced as part of ongoing educational efforts to eradicate Ebola in West Africa.
“Very illustrious and simple to understand even by lay person and convince them to practice the Ebola preventive measures. “
– Dr. Ashok Kumar, M.D., Director General, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India
“Very illustrious and simple to understand even by lay person and convince them to practice the Ebola preventive measures. “
– Dr. Ashok Kumar, M.D., Director General, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India
The Story of Cholera
By making the invisible cholera germs visible, the film brings to life the teaching points of cholera prevention. It’s used worldwide in cholera-affected communities and for hygiene education.
“As an educator and communications expert, … this video meets all criteria for effective communication of effective health promotion practices. And it does it beautifully! … Excellent work.”
– Nancy Claxton, Ed.D, International Federation of the Red Cross
“As an educator and communications expert, … this video meets all criteria for effective communication of effective health promotion practices. And it does it beautifully! … Excellent work.”
– Nancy Claxton, Ed.D, International Federation of the Red Cross
Small Baby Care Series
Babies born too small or too soon are especially vulnerable. Many babies can be saved with simple interventions that our comprehensive set of videos teach exceptionally well.
“Fantastic videos… especially the cup feeding one. It brought tears in my eyes. … very helpful teaching aids not only for the caregivers but for the parents of small babies.”
– Nester Moyo, ICM
“Fantastic videos… especially the cup feeding one. It brought tears in my eyes. … very helpful teaching aids not only for the caregivers but for the parents of small babies.”
– Nester Moyo, ICM
Nutrition Series
In almost half of all children’s deaths worldwide, poor nutrition is a contributing factor. These videos help improve feeding practices for young children, when good nutrition is so critical to their health and development.
“Developed in collaboration with UNICEF, the films were shot in over 60 households in Nigeria, Kenya, and Nepal.”
“Developed in collaboration with UNICEF, the films were shot in over 60 households in Nigeria, Kenya, and Nepal.”
Recognition
Our public health animations have won many awards and official selections that recognize their significant contribution to social change, their exceptional educational value, and the high quality of the animation.
The Story of Coronavirus – Awards and Official Selections
The Story of Ebola – Awards and Official Selections
The Story of Cholera – Awards and Official Selections
