From surgery simulators to medical mishaps in space, video game tech is helping doctors at work

In India, videos made about the many social problems are secretly broadcasted in different villages to make people aware of the real problem and also aware of what they can do to fix it. Video Volunteers, an organization that coordinates these video productions, catalyzes community change through transparency and accountability.

In the past, people in poor countries who became blind due to cataracts often had no hope of improvement because of the high costs of treatment. Nepalese ophthalmologist, Sanduk Ruit, perfected a cheap and effective cataract removal technique which allows his patients to see again.

India’s television serials are ubiquitous and wildly influential, bringing families of every background together every night. For some producers and screenwriters, that reach comes with responsibility, as they use their medium to fight rape and gendered violence.

Game inventors have created a new game to help students who suffer from ADHD and other mental problems develop and stimulate their brains in a safer, more targeted way than normal medicines.

The typical surgery for hydrocephalus, a brain swelling disease, often leads to infection. Medical constraints in Uganda inspired a neurosurgeon to create a safer and more effective surgery which is now used in Uganda and the U.S.

In Saudi Arabia, female gamers were barred from gaming conventions so an all-female gaming convection was born, offering women a place of self expression and encouraging careers in science and computer programming.

Colorado has had challenges teaching climate change to elementary and secondary school students because of political divisiveness. Regional advocacy groups and professionals manage to teach climate change through engaging field trips, filmmaking, and outdoor learning.

In Zambia, the need for surgery is just as common as in the United States - doctors, however, are rare. So Zambia is training clinical officers – with no medical degrees – to do C-sections and hernia repairs.

An Oklahoma surgery center made news by posting its prices online – a revolutionary idea in an industry where consumers normally are buying blind. This is a big reason health care costs so much, but recent months have seen great advances in transparency.

By depicting crucial social issues such as infant mortality, domestic abuse, and alcoholism, TV and radio soap operas are being used internationally as a powerful tool for mass behavior change.