Real-World Applications of Virtual Reality – Saving Newborn Lives

Each year, there are 2.5 million newborn deaths, most of which are preventable. One of the top causes of neonatal mortality is when a baby does not breathe at birth. Newborn resuscitation training reduces newborn deaths, but knowledge and skills from in-person training rapidly decay, sometimes in a matter of weeks after training. While simulation practice using manikins is a proven educational approach, it requires facility space, equipment and supervision, which is often unavailable due to lack of infrastructure, staff shortages and high rates of staff turnover in resource-scarce settings. Virtual simulations are a feasible and acceptable alternative. This presentation traces our path from the Global Health Island on Second Life and Africa Traveler on Open Sim; to the Gates Foundation-funded project: eHBB mobile virtual reality training on neonatal resuscitation for healthcare workers in resource-scarce settings.