In 2024, Engineers Without Borders USA absorbed Engineering World Health (EWH). Engineering World Health was an organization with a similar mission and approach to capacity building and community development through engineering. Founded in 2001, EWH used a chapter structure like EWB-USA and sent volunteers into the field for experiences to improve community health outcomes through biomedical engineering and repairing medical equiptment. This strategic partnership combines our strengths, broadens our reach, and amplifies our impact in improving health outcomes through engineering solutions worldwide.
Meeting The Global Medical Equipment Challenge
1,300 Volunteers
13,800 Repairs Made
7 Countries
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.8 Billion people or 24% of the worlds’ population, live without quality essential health services.
As you can imagine, medical equipment is at the cornerstone of ensuring patients have better outcomes.
The newly developed Community Health Program at EWB-USA (formerly Engineering World Health) works in partnership with communities in low resource communities to repair medical equipment. Hospital and clinics in these context face large challenges accessing skilled technicians who can install, repair, and maintain critical equipment such as infant incubators, oxygen concentrators, and patient monitors.
Many of these facilities receive donated medical equipment, but they are unable to maintain or repair it leading to poor patient outcomes.
Effects on Community Health:
- Patients must wait or travel to receive treatment
- Procedures cannot be performed at all
- Efficiency is diminished
- Revenue is diminished
Since 2001, Engineering World Health facilitated thousands of volunteer experiences across 7 countries, completing over 13,000 repairs worth over $26 Million USD. This vital work will continue as a part of Engineers Without Borders USA's Community Health Program
Community Health Solutions at EWB-USA
WATER SUPPLY
Handle water sourcing, water storage and distribution, and treatment of water for healthcare facilities.
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Health Infrastructure
Improve infrastructure in healthcare facilities to serve the complex health needs of each community's population.
SANITATION
Provide sustainable waste and sanitation solutions for communities, including handwashing facilities, and gray water & medical waste solutions.
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STERILIZATION
Review healthcare facility sterilization process and areas and offer advice and interventions to decrease infection rates resulting in better patient outcomes.
ENERGY
Provide consistent, sustainable energy for healthcare facilities.
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OXYGEN SUPPLY
Assess healthcare facility oxygen supply systems and offer interventions to improve patient and provider access.
Community Health Institutes
Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) is supporting a new program similar to Engineering World Health's Summer Institutes that provides intensive hands-on training to volunteers and places them in hospitals in low-resource areas to serve as biomedical engineering technicians. These volunteers have a dual mission during their two month program:
- To repair as much critical medical equipment as possible.
- To train local staff and build their capacity to care for this equipment moving forward.
Improved Patient Outcomes
Institute participants keep detailed records of the equipment they interact with and on average they repair 75% of the broken equipment they encounter. These repairs are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and lead to improved patient outcomes immediately.
Capacity Building with Hospital Staff
Improving local technical expertise through training is a proven method and a sustainable solution to reduce the amount of equipment that is out of service. Previous EWH training programs saw out of service equipment fall by almost half after teaching hospitals to do basic repairs and troubleshoot.
Leadership Development
Feedback from Institute participants and beneficiaries is overwhelmingly positive. Participants often describe the experience as “life-changing” and hospital staff are impressed with what students are able to accomplish in their time.
How to Get Involved
Contribute to the Medical Device Library
We are seeking volunteers to contribute to and promote the iFixit Medical Device Library. This tool seeks to share information on how to repair medical devices. We are seeking the assisitance of both trained professional biomedical technicians to contribute to the library through manuals, as well as student volunteers who can support by sorting and reviewing manuals in the library. Learn more by visiting the iFixit Digital Library.
Winter 2025
In December 2025, we will lead a pilot Community Health Institute Program in Guatemala with 10-20 students. This program is currently not open for additional students to participate. We look forward to sharing the impact and the results.
Summer 2026
In Summer 2026, we will host an open enrollment Community Health Institute Program in Guatemala. We are inviting students to apply to this opportunity in Fall 2025 and anticipate it will comprise 9 weeks of in-country training and hospital placement experience. Applications will be available Fall 2025. To express your interest register as a volunteer and select "comunity health" as your volunteering interest.
If you are already registered as an EWB-USA Volunteer keep an eye out for communications regarding the opening of applications, and other institute updates later this year.
ARE YOU A COMMUNITY
We accept applications form community-based organizations that have demostrated need in one or more of our six project types.
