Helpful Engineering is excited to announce the latest addition to our community-driven, open innovation challenges — a global call to action focused on one of the world’s most persistent threats: infectious disease.
The Challenge: Building Practical Solutions for Frontline Communities
Despite medical advancements, millions around the world — particularly in underserved and high-risk regions — still face daily vulnerabilities to infectious disease outbreaks. Communities and frontline workers lack accessible, scalable tools to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to transmission risks in real-world settings.
Our challenge statement is clear and urgent:
“Communities and frontline workers lack scalable tools to prevent and respond to infectious disease transmission in daily life.”
This is where the Helpful community comes in.
Our Approach: Open Engineering for Global Health Impact
We are rallying engineers, designers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and innovators to join forces and build open-source tools that are:
- Affordable and locally manufacturable
- Rapidly deployable in crisis situations
- Privacy-respecting, offline-capable, and culturally adaptable
- Aligned with Class I medical device standards or community health frameworks
Projects Already in Motion
Our growing open-source project portfolio includes:
- OpenShield: Flat-pack face shields designed for essential workers
- ScanAlert: Privacy-first self-screening and local outbreak alert app
- HeatCheck: Contactless thermometer for public screening
- PathoPrint: DIY PCR units for bioscience education and local testing
- ComAlert: SMS-based health alerts for rural and low-connectivity areas
- CleanLoop: Foot-pump sanitizer refill stations made from local materials
- MaskMate: Fit-test indicators for improving cloth mask safety
These are just the beginning — with over a dozen more solutions in development and open for collaboration, feedback, and field validation.
Who We’re Calling In
We’re building a diverse coalition to drive this challenge forward:
- Technical Contributors: Engineers, coders, makers, medical professionals, and researchers ready to prototype, test, and refine solutions.
- Partners & Sponsors: Public health agencies, NGOs, local manufacturers, academic institutions, and innovation accelerators who can pilot solutions or fund development.
- Amplifiers: Media, influencers, and community leaders who can help spread the word and activate networks.
Why Participate?
By joining the Infectious Disease Challenge, you’ll:
- Be part of a global, volunteer-driven innovation ecosystem.
- Co-build solutions that empower communities and save lives.
- Gain access to Helpful’s structured pipeline for project support, from ideation to prototyping to deployment.
- Collaborate through our open GitHub repositories and design resources.
Join the Movement
If you’re ready to help tackle this challenge, contribute your skills, or explore partnership opportunities, visit:
👉https://opencollective.com/helpful
📬 Have questions or want to collaborate? [email protected]
💡 Explore and contribute on GitHub: github.com/helpfulengineering
Together, let’s co-create scalable, open solutions for a healthier, more resilient world.
