iheed Announces New Winter Animation Competition

Cork, Ireland -- Online animation platform iheedCrowd [1], launched earlier this year in October [2], has announced a new winter competition.

Developed by the iheed [3] Institute, iheedCrowd brings together digital designers who can, via animation, change the field of Global Health Education and training. iheedCrowd encourages individuals, animation studios and animation colleges to be involved in the development of unique and creative health education content. This website is the first of its kind to give digital designers and animators the opportunity to contribute to health education and training, making a difference for those whose access to healthcare is non-existent.

The new competition, The Signs of Meningitis, has a Grand Prize of $2,000, plus a Wacom Cintiq 12WX.

Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It is most often caused by infection (bacterial, viral, or fungal). The disease occurs globally, but in sub-Saharan Africa, meningitis epidemics occur every two to three years. An epidemic is a sudden and significant increase in the number of cases of a communicable disease, which may go on rising for weeks, months or years. For example, in 2009, 14 African countries reported 88,199 suspected bacterial cases, including 5,352 deaths, the largest number since a 1996 epidemic.

The disease is more common in children, and it may begin as a complication of other diseases such as measles, mumps, malaria or even an ear infection. Community health workers are present in virtually every community and can play a key role reducing number of deaths caused by meningitis.

Visit the iheedCrowd Animation Library [4] to view the collection of animations already created by established producers and animators such as Buzzco Associates, Firdaus Kharas and the Global Health Media Project (in collaboration with Yoni Goodman).

Visit the iheed website [5] for more information about the compettion, and to download the creative brief. The deadline for entries is February 3, 2013.

Source: iheed Institute