9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I want to share with you[br]something my father taught me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "No condition is permanent." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a lesson he shared with me[br]again and again, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I learned it to be true the hard way. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Here I am in my fourth grade class. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is my yearbook picture taken[br]in my class in school 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in Monrovia, Liberia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My parents migrated from India[br]to West Africa in the 1970s, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I had the privilege[br]of growing up there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was nine years old, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I loved kicking around a soccer ball, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I was a total math and science geek. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was living the kind of life 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that really any child would dream of. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But no condition is permanent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 On Christmas Eve in 1989, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 civil war erupted in Liberia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The war started in the rural countryside, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and within months, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 rebel armies had marched[br]towards our hometown. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My school shut down, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and when the rebel armies captured[br]the one international airport, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 people started panicking and fleeing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My mom came knocking one morning 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and said, "Raj, pack your things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have to go." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We were rushed to the center of town, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and there on a tarmac, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we were split into two lines. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I stood with my family in one line, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we were stuffed into the cargo[br]hatch of a rescue plane. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And there on a bench, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was sitting with my heart racing[br]as I looked out the open hatch 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I saw hundreds of Liberians[br]in another line, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 children strapped to their backs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When they tried to jump in with us, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I watched soldiers restrain them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They were not allowed to flee. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We were the lucky ones. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We lost what we had, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but we resettled in America, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and as immigrants we benefitted[br]from the community of supporters 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that rallied around us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They took my family into their home, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they mentored me, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they helped my dad[br]start a clothing shop. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd visit my father on weekends[br]as a teenager 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help him sell sneakers and jeans. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And every time business would get bad, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 he'd remind me of that manta: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no condition is permanent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That mantra, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and my parent's persistence, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that community of supporters 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 made it possible for me to go through[br]college and eventually to medical school. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd once had my hopes crushed in war, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but because of them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I had a chance to pursue my dream[br]to become a doctor. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My condition had changed. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It had been 15 years[br]since I escaped that air field, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but the memory of those two lines[br]had not escaped my mind. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was a medical student[br]in my mid-20s, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I wanted to go back 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to see if I could serve[br]the people we left behind. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When I got back, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what I found was utter destruction -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the war left us with just 51 doctors 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to serve a country of four million people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It would be like the city of San Francisco[br]having just 10 doctors. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So if you got sick in the city[br]where those few doctors remain, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you might stand a chance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But if you got sick in the remote[br]rural rainforest communities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where you could be days[br]from the nearest clinic, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was seeing my patients die 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from conditions that no one[br]should die from. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 All because they were[br]getting to me too late. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Imagine you have a two-year-old[br]who wakes up one morning with a fever, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you realize that she[br]could have malaria, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you know that the only way[br]to get her the medicine she needs 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 would be to take her to the riverbed, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 get in a canoe, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 paddle to the other side 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then walk for up to two day[br]through the forest 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just to reach the nearest clinic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One billion people live[br]in the world's most remote communities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and despite the advances we've made[br]in modern medicine and technology, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 our innovations are not[br]reaching the last mile. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These communities have been left behind 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they've been thought 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 too hard to reach[br]and too difficult to serve. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Illness is universal; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 access to care is not. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And realizing this lit a fire in my soul. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 No one should die because they live[br]too far from a doctor or clinic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 No condition should be permanent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And help in this case[br]didn't come from the outside, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it actually came from within. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It came from the communities themselves. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Meet Musu. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Way out in rural Liberia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where most girls have not had[br]a chance to finish primary school, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Musu had been persistent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 At the age of 18, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 she completed high school, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she came back to her community -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 she saw that none of the children[br]were getting treatment 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the diseases that they[br]needed treatment for -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 deadly diseases like malaria[br]and pneumonia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So she signed up to be a volunteer. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now there are millions of volunteers[br]like Musu in rural parts around our world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we got to thinking -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 community members like Musu[br]could actually help us solve a puzzle. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our health care system[br]is structured in such a way 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that they work of diagnosing disease[br]and prescribing medicines 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is limited to a team or nurses[br]and doctors like me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But nurses and doctors[br]are concentrated in cities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so rural communities like Musu's[br]have been left behind. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we started asking some questions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What if we could re-organize[br]the medical care system? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What if we could have community[br]members like Musu 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 be a part or even be the center[br]of our medical team? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What if Musu could help us bring[br]heatlh care from clinics in cities 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the doorsteps of her neighbors? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And Musu was 48 when I met her, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and despite her amazing talent and grit, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 she hadn't had a paying job in 30 years. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what if technology could support her? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What if we could invest in her[br]with real training, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 real equipment, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with real medicines? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And have her have a real job? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well, 2007 I was trying[br]to answer these questions, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and my wife and I were[br]getting married that year. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We asked our relatives to forgo[br]the wedding registry gifts, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and instead donate some money 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so we could have some startup money[br]to launch a non-profit. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I promise you, I'm a lot[br]more romantic than that -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We ended up raising $6,000, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 teamed up with some[br]Liberians and Americans, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and launched a non-profit[br]called Last Mile Health, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and our goal is to bring[br]a health worker 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 within reach of everyone everywhere. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We designed a three-step process: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 train, equip and pay, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to invest more deeply[br]in volunteers like Musu 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to become paraprofessionals, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to become community health workers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 First we trained Musu to prevent,[br]diagnose and treat 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the top 10 diseases afflicting[br]families in her village. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A nurse supervisor visited her[br]every month to coach her. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We equipped her with modern[br]medical technology, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 like this one dollar malaria rapid test, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and put it in a backpack[br]full of medicines like this 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to treat infections like pneumonia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And crucially, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a smartphone to help her track[br]and report on epidemics. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Last, we recognized[br]the dignity in Musu's work. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 With the Liberian government, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we created a contract, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 paid her, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and gave her the chance[br]to have a real job. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And she's amazing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Musu has learned over 30 medical skills, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from screening children for malnutrition 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to assessing the cause of child's cough[br]with a smartphone, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to supporting people with HIV 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and providing follow-up care[br]to patients who've lost their limbs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Working as part of our team, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 working as paraprofessionals, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 community health workers can help insure 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that a lot of what your[br]family doctor would do 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 reaches the places that most[br]family doctors could never go. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One of my favorite things to do 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is to care for patients[br]with community health workers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so last year I was visiting A.B., 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and like Musu, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A.B. had had a chance to go to school. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He was in middle school[br]in the eighth grade 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when his parents died. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He became an orphan and had to drop out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Last year we hired and trained[br]A.B. as a community health worker. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And while he was making[br]door-to-door house calls, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 he met this young boy named Prince 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 whose mother had had trouble[br]breastfeeding him, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and by the age of six months, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Prince was starting to waste away. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A.B. had just been taught how to use[br]this color-coded measuring tape 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that wraps around the upper arm[br]of a child with a diagnosed malnutrition. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A.B. noticed that Prince[br]was in the red zone, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which meant he had to be hospitalized. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So A.B. took Prince[br]and his mother to the river, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 got in a canoe 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and paddled for four hours[br]to get to the hospital. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Later, after Prince was discharged, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A.B. taught mom how to feed[br]baby a food supplement. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A few months ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A.B. took me to visit Prince, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he's a chubby little guy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He's meeting his milestones, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 he's pulled himself up to a stand, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he's even starting to say a few words. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm so inspired by these[br]community health workers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I often ask them why they do what they do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and when I asked A.B. he said, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Doc, since I dropped out of school, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 this is the first time I'm having a chance[br]to hold a pen to write. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My brain is getting fresh." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The stories of A.B. and Musu[br]have taught me something fundamental 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 about being human. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our will to serve others can actually[br]help us transform our own conditions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I was so moved by how powerful[br]the will to serve our neighbors can be, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a few years ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we faced a global catastrophe. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In December 2013, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 something happened in the rainforests[br]across the border from us in Guinea. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A toddler named Emile fell sick[br]with vomiting, fever and diahrrea. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He lived in an area[br]where the roads were sparse, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and there had been massive[br]shortages of health workers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Emile died, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a few weeks later his sister died, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a few weeks later his mother died. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And this disease would spread[br]from one community to another. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And it wasn't until three months later 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that the world recognized this as Ebola. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When every minute counted, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we had already lost months, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and by then the virus had spread[br]like wildfire all across West Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and eventually to other[br]parts of the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Businesses shut down, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 airlines started cancelling routes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 At the height of the crisis 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we were told that 1.4 million[br]people could be infected, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we were told[br]that most of them would die, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we had nearly lost all hope -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I remember standing with a group[br]of health workers 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the rainforest where[br]an outbreak had just happened. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We were helping train and equip them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to put on the masks,[br]the gloves and the gowns 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that they needed to keep themselves[br]safe from the virus 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 while they were serving their patients. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I remember the fear in their eyes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I remember staying up at night, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 terrified if I'd made the right call ... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to keep them in the field. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When Ebola threatened to bring[br]humanity to its knees, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Liberia's community health workers[br]didn't surrender to fear. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They did what they had always done. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They answered the call[br]to serve their neighbors. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Community members across Liberia[br]learned the symptoms of Ebola, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 teamed up with nurses and doctors[br]to go door-to door to find the sick 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and get them into care. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They tracked thousands of people[br]who had been exposed to the virus, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and helped break[br]the chain of transmission. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some ten thousand community[br]health workers risked their own lives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help hunt down this virus[br]and stop it in its tracks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Today, Ebola's come under[br]control in West Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we've learned a few things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've learned that blindspots[br]in rural health care 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can lead to hot spots of disease, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that places all of us at greater risk. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've learned that the most efficient[br]emergency system 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is actually an everyday system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that system has to reach[br]all communities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 including rural communities like Emile's. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And most of all, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we've learned from the courage[br]of Liberia's community health workers 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we as people are not defined[br]by the conditions we face, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no matter how hopeless they seem. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're defined by how we respond to them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For the past 15 years, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I've seen the power of this idea 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to transform everyday citizens[br]into community health workers -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into everyday heroes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I seen it play out everywhere, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from the forest communities[br]of West Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the rural fishing villages of Alaska. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's true, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these community health workers[br]aren't doing neurosurgery, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they're making it possible 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to bring health care within reach[br]of everyone everywhere. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So now what? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well, we know that there are still[br]millions of people dying 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from preventable causes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in rural communities around the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we know that they great[br]majority of these deaths are happening 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in these 75 blue shaded countries. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What we also know 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is that if we trained an army[br]of community health workers 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to learn even just 30 life-saving skills, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we could save the lives of nearly[br]30 million people by 2030. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 30 services could save[br]30 million lives by 2030. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's not just a blueprint. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've proved this can be done. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In Liberia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the Libernian government is training[br]thousands of workers like A.B. and Musu 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 after Ebola, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to bring health care to every[br]child and family in the country. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we've been honored to work with them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and are now teaming up[br]with a number of organizations 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that are working across other countries 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to try to help them do the same thing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If we could help these countries scale, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we could save millions of lives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and at the same time, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we could create millions of jobs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We simply can't do that though[br]without technology. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 People are worried that technology[br]is going to steal our jobs, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but when it comes to[br]community health workers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 technology's actually been vital[br]for creating jobs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Without technology -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without this smartphone, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without this rapid test -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it would have been impossible for us[br]to employ A.B. and Musu. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I think it's time[br]for technology to help us train -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help us train people faster[br]and better than ever before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As a doctor, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I use technology to stay up-to-date[br]and keep certified. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I use smartphones, I use apps,[br]I use online courses, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but when A.B. wants to learn, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 he's got to jump back in that canoe[br]and get to the training center. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And when Musu shows up for training, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 her instructors are stuck using[br]flip charts and markers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Why shouldn't they have the same[br]access to learn as I do? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If we truly want community health[br]workers to master those life-saving skills 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and even more, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we've got to change this old-school[br]model of education. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Tech can truly be a game-changer here. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I've been in awe of the digital[br]education revolution 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that the likes of [Conn Academy][br]and [EdX] have been leading. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I've been thinking that it's time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's time for a collision between[br]the digital education revolution 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the community health revoultion. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so this brings me[br]to my TED Prize wish. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I wish -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I wish that you would help us recruit 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the largest army of community health[br]workers the world has ever known 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by creating the community health academy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a global platform to train,[br]connect and empower. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Here's the idea. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we'll create an curate[br]the best in digital education resources. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We will bring those to community[br]health workers around the world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 including A.B. and Musu. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So they'll get video lessons[br]on giving kids vaccines, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and have online courses[br]on spotting the next outbreak, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so they're not stuck using flip charts. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We'll help these countries[br]accredit these workers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so that they're not stuck remaining[br]an under-recognized, undervalued group, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but become a renowned, empowered[br]profession just like nurses and doctors. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we'll create a network[br]of companies and entrepreneurs, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who've created innovations[br]that can save lives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and help them connect[br]to workers like Musu 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so she can help better[br]serve her community. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we'll work tirelessly[br]to persuade governments 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to make community health workers[br]a cornerstone of their health care plans. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We plan to test and prototype[br]the academy in Liberia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a few other partner counties, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then we plan to take it global, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 including the rural North America. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 With the power of this platform, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we believe countires can be more persuaded 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that a health care revolution[br]really is possible. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My dream is that this academy[br]will contribute 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the training of hundreds[br]of thousands community members 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help bring health care[br]to their neighbors -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the hundreds of millions of them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that live in the world's most[br]remote communities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 From the forest communities[br]of West Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the fishing villages of rural Alaska; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from the hilltops of Appalachia[br]to the mountains of Afghanistan. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And if this vision is aligned with yours, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 head to Communityhealthacademy.org, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and join this revolution. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let us know if you or your organization[br]or someone you know 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 could help us as we try to build[br]this academy over the next year. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, as a look out into this room, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I realize that our journeys[br]are not self-made, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're shaped by others. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And there have been so many here[br]that have been part of this cause. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're so honored to be[br]part of this community, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a community that's willing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to take on a cause[br]as audacious as this one. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I wanted to offer as I end, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a reflection. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I think a lot more about[br]what my father taught me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These days, I too have become a dad. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I have two sons, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and my wife and I just learned that she's[br]pregnant with our third child. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was recently caring[br]for a woman in Liberia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who like my wife was[br]in her third pregnancy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but unlike my wife, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 had had no prenatal care[br]with her first two babies. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She lived in an isolated community[br]in the forest that had gone for 100 years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without any health care -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until ... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until last year when a nurse[br]trained her neighbors 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to become community health workers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So here I was, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 seeing this patient who was in[br]her second trimester, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I pulled out the ultrasound[br]to check on the baby, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she started telling us stories[br]about her first two kids, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I had the ultrasound[br]probe on her belly, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she just stopped mid-sentence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She turned to be and she said, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Doc, what's that sound?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was the first time she'd[br]ever heard her baby's heartbeat. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And her eyes lit up in the same way[br]my wife's eyes and my own eyes lit up 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we heard our baby's heartbeat. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For all of human history, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 illness has been universal[br]and access to care has not, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but as a wise man once told me, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no condition is permanent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's time for us to go as far as it takes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to change this condition together. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause)