E-MOTIVE Animation – WHO
For this global maternal health initiatve, we partnered with the University of Birmingham and the World Health Organization (HRP) to produce a three-minute healthcare explainer animation designed to raise awareness of Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) and communicate the E-MOTIVE care bundle in a way that could be understood anywhere in the world. The challenge was to create a piece of visual storytelling capable of transcending language, literacy, and cultural boundaries, a film that health workers could use in any setting without subtitles, narration or translation.
About the E-MOTIVE Programme
E-MOTIVE is a WHO-recommended, evidence-based clinical approach that helps healthcare workers rapidly identify and manage PPH, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. To support the global implementation, the programme required a healthcare explainer animation capable of simplifying a complex clinical pathway into a clear, human-centred resource suitable for a wide range of training environments.
Our role was to help translate a complex clinical pathway into a clear, emotionally accessible visual format that could be used in training, community education, and global dissemination.
Capturing the Story – Our Creative Approach
To meet the brief, we proposed a silent, visual-only narrative centred on the idea of a continuous journey. The film follows a woman walking a single road, a metaphor for the shared risk faced by women around the world. As the road progresses, the character subtly transitions through multiple ethnicities and cultures, underscoring the universal danger of PPH and the collective importance of timely response.
Because the animation needed to be both sensitive and globally relevant, we drew heavily on international research, lived experience insights, and visual cues from the countries most affected by PPH. Our aim was to create a piece that felt warm, human and immediately legible, even without language.
Designing the Visual Language
To produce a film that was rapid to deploy but rich in detail, we built the animation around a carefully refined walk cycle that could accommodate changes in clothing, character design and cultural representation. This allowed us to keep movement consistent while dedicating more time to hand-drawn textures, facial details and colour palettes tailored to each region.
Key elements included:
Regional colour themes inspired by real-world reference material
Hand-drawn textile patterns stamped frame-by-frame
Soft, non-graphic framing to ensure the film stayed respectful and suitable for all audiences
Shading and texture passes to bring depth and warmth to each sequence
One of the most powerful scenes features a father at his partner’s graveside, holding the newborn she died delivering. A single falling petal, animated frame-by-frame to maintain delicacy, expresses the entire emotional weight of the moment without a single word. These quiet beats were essential to the storytelling: symbolic, human, and universal.
What We Delivered
This project required precision, cultural empathy and technical efficiency.
The final output included:
- A three-minute healthcare explainer animation explaining:
- The risk and prevalence of PPH
- The importance of early recognition
- The role of the E-MOTIVE care bundle
- A silent, language-free design, suitable for global training and distribution
The animation is now part of the E-MOTIVE communication toolkit and available for use by WHO, the University of Birmingham and international health partners.
Here is another example of an animation produced by Cass Productions: Celebrating Disability Animation
Why This Project Matters
PPH is preventable, but only when information is accesible. This healthcare explainer animation provides a universally understandable tool for healthcare workers, enabling faster recognition and response in settings where resources or training may vary.
This project demonstrates how animation can communicate complex medical processes with clarity, compassion and cultural inclusivity.
We’re proud to support the University of Birmingham and WHO in a project that contributes to safer childbirth and life-saving education worldwide.