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Tag: partnerships

  • Ahead of Teach to Reach 11, organizational leaders share experience of ‘what works’ for health

    Ahead of Teach to Reach 11, organizational leaders share experience of ‘what works’ for health

    Over 730 organizations have already confirmed their participation in Teach to Reach 11, a peer learning platform, network, and community for health workers facilitated by the Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF).

    This announcement came during TGLF’s first partnership briefing held on 16 October 2024. Voir la présentation aux partenaires en français…

    Teach to Reach, which connects health professionals across borders, is expanding its focus on local partnerships for its upcoming 11th edition, scheduled for 5-6 December 2024.

    Why does this matter?

    The initiative’s reach is substantial. Teach to Reach 10, held in June 2024, attracted 21,398 participants from over 70 countries. Notably, 80% of participants were from district and facility levels.

    Each participant is now being encouraged to involve their organization – and to invite staff, volunteers, and community members to join.

    “I plan to involve women from every province. We made a small committee. So our network is represented“ at Teach to Reach, said Isabelle Monga, national president of RENAFER, an NGO based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    What do organizational leaders say about Teach to Reach?

    Here is what Amadou Gueye, president of the Malaria Youth Corps, said about his first time participating in Teach to Reach 10: “I was very impressed by the sharing and the results I saw at Teach to Reach, especially the real data, and the fact that every time people take part afterwards, we tally it all up and give a report that’s really precise and clear.”

    Watch the first experience-sharing session on malaria at Teach to Reach 10. Voir la séance en français…

    Dr. Ornela Malembe, President of ONG SADF (Santé et Développement de la Femme et de l’Enfant) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, shared how previous Teach to Reach events influenced her work: “Before Teach to Reach, we did not know about Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS). With what we learned, we put in place activities to raise awareness among women.”

    FGS is a neglected tropical disease that afflicts an estimated 56 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about FGS…

    Vincent Kamuasha, Country Representative of United Front Against River Blindness (UFAR) in DRC, highlighted the practical impact: “At Teach to Reach, we exchanged with the national NTD programme. We approached the national program for the fight against HIV. And recently, we approached the national program for reproductive health and adolescents.”

    Watch the Teach to Reach 10 session about NTDs. Voir la séance en français…

    Teach to Reach aims to deepen engagement and impact by supporting organizational change. As Reda Sadki, co-founder of TGLF, explained, “It’s really about developing your organization: share your experience, increase visibility, and access opportunities.”

    Organizations interested in becoming Teach to Reach partners are guided through the partnership application process.

    There is no cost for participants or locally-led organizations, as global partners subsidize the programme.

    What issues are these organizations about?

    The organizations at Teach to Reach 11’s briefings mirror the complexity of global health.

    They span from local community initiatives to national disease control programs, covering infectious diseases, health system strengthening, maternal and child health, youth empowerment, and community healthcare.

    Environmental health and climate change impacts were represented, as were mental health, nutrition, and digital health solutions.

    Organizations focusing on health equity, emergency response, and One Health approaches were also present.

    This diverse representation highlights the interconnected nature of global health challenges and the need for collaborative, multidisciplinary solutions.

    Teach to Reach emphasizes collaborative intelligence and active knowledge production. Participants are positioned as knowledge creators rather than passive recipients, reflecting a shift towards more inclusive global health practices.

    As global health faces complex, interconnected challenges, Teach to Reach’s focus on peer learning to drive locally-led change offers a new approach to collaboration and knowledge sharing in the field.

    Who actually attended the briefing?

    Attendees spanned a wide spectrum of the health system, from community-based workers to national-level policymakers.

    Government agencies were well-represented, including ministries of health, national immunization programs, and regional health departments from countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

    Civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) formed a significant portion of attendees, ranging from local community groups to international non-profits.

    A strong presence of district and facility-level health workers included nurses, community health workers, and local health facility managers.

    International organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, and various UN agencies were also present, alongside research institutions and academic bodies.

    The linguistic diversity was notable, with a balanced representation from both anglophone and francophone countries.

    Strong participation was seen from nations such as Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Cameroon, among others.

    Building on Teach to Reach 10

    The partnership process was offered for the first time ahead of Teach to Reach 10 in June 2024. 240 organizations from 41 countries joined as local partners.

    Watch the Leaders & Partners Forum at Teach to Reach 10. Voir le Forum des Leaders & Partenaires en français…

    What came out of Teach to Reach 10?

    Outputs from Teach to Reach 10 included almost 2,000 real-world stories and insights shared by participants.

    These experiences are shared back with the community, creating a rich repository of practical knowledge. 

    99.7% of participants reported increased motivation and commitment to their work, and 97.8% stated they learned something new that changed their perspective.

    Learn more

    Find out why you should participate in Teach to Reach, if Teach to Reach can help your organization, and why become a Teach to Reach Partner.

    Listen to the Teach to Reach podcast:

    Are you a health professional? Join the Geneva Learning Foundation’s peer learning programme on climate change and health:

    Is your organisation interested in learning from health workers? Learn more about becoming a Teach to Reach partner.

  • Why participate in Teach to Reach?

    Why participate in Teach to Reach?

    In global health, where challenges are as diverse as they are complex, we need new ways for health professionals to connect, learn, and drive change.

    Imagine a digital space where a nurse from rural Nigeria, a policymaker from India, and a WHO expert can share experiences, learn from each other, and collectively tackle global health challenges.

    That’s the essence of Teach to Reach.

    Welcome to Teach to Reach, a peer learning initiative launched in January 2021 by a collection of over 300 health professionals from Africa, Asia, and Latin America as they were getting ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccination.

    Four years later, the tenth edition of Teach to Reach on 20-21 June 2024 brought together an astounding 21,389 health professionals from over 70 countries.

    Discussion has expanded beyond immunization to include a range of challenges that matter for the survival and resilience of local communities.

    What makes this gathering extraordinary is not just its size, but its composition.

    Unlike traditional conferences dominated by high-level experts, 80% of Teach to Reach participants work at district and facility levels, bringing ground-level insights to global discussions.

    Half are government workers.

    One in five work for health in the context of armed conflict.

    Why do so many health workers join and contribute to Teach to Reach?

    The event’s success lies in its unique process.

    Weeks before the main event, participants start sharing their experiences through targeted questions.

    In June, these “Teach to Reach Questions” resulted in over 2,000 real-world stories and insights being collected and shared back with the community.

    This pre-event engagement ensures that when participants finally meet virtually, conversations are rich, relevant, and rooted in real-world challenges.

    During the two-day event, participants engage in a mix of plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and one-on-one networking.

    “It’s like speed dating for global health professionals,” jokes The Geneva Learning Foundation’s Charlotte Mbuh. “But instead of romantic connections, we’re forming professional bonds that can transform health outcomes in our communities.”

    This structure facilitates direct dialogue between global health leaders and frontline workers.

    How does this relate to the work done by global partners?

    Ahead of Teach to Reach 10, Dr. Kate O’Brien, Director of Immunization at WHO, noted, “Our job is to take everything that you all know at the grassroots level and bring it together into sort of that collated guidance.”

    Jaded global health staff may ask “So what?”.

    The impact of Teach to Reach extends far beyond the event itself.

    Health workers leading Teach to Reach helped create the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030).

    This year, over 2,400 civil society and community-based organizations and at least as many local leaders engaged as as partners, creating a diverse network that spans from grassroots NGOs and local government agencies to global institutions like Gavi and UNICEF.

    Connections made through the network outlast the event itself, strengthening local action and creating new ways to inform global strategies.

    For global partners, Teach to Reach offers an unparalleled opportunity.

    Dr. Ephraim T. Lemango, Chief of Immunization at UNICEF, said: “We’ve said we want to listen and that co-creation is very important… This is exactly the type of innovative approach that we need to overcome the complex challenges we are faced with in global health.”

    Teach to Reach 10 demonstrated the event’s growing impact and reach:

    • Diverse participation: 80% of attendees were district and facility-level health workers, providing ground-level perspectives often missing from global health dialogues.
    • Organizational engagement: 2,400 organizations participated in the partnership process, with 240 selected as official partners, spanning local NGOs to global institutions.
    • Thematic relevance: The event addressed critical issues like climate change’s impact on health, with insights from 4,700 health workers informing discussions.
    • Global-local collaboration: Sessions featured partnerships between international organizations and local implementers, such as UNICEF’s work on reaching zero-dose children in urban settings.
    • Tangible outcomes: Post-event surveys revealed that 99.7% of respondents reported increased motivation, and 97.4% learned something new and applicable to their work.

    We are pleased to announce Teach to Reach 11 that will be held on 5-6 December 2024.

    As Teach to Reach 11 approaches, the excitement is palpable.

    This year’s event promises to continue to explore critical issues like climate change’s impact on health, malaria, and immunization, bringing new partners seeking to listen and learn with communities.

    The running thread across all these issues is expressed in a groundbreaking Manifesto for investment in health workers, developed collaboratively by over 1,300 Teach to Reach participants.

    For those new to Teach to Reach, participating is straightforward.

    The event is free for health professionals from low and middle-income countries, with options for low-bandwidth participation to ensure inclusivity.

    Global organizations can join as partners, gaining access to a wealth of insights and opportunities through their respectful, meaningful engagement with health workers.

    By harnessing the collective wisdom of health professionals worldwide, Teach to Reach is creating a new paradigm for learning, collaboration, and action in global health.

    So, whether you’re a community health worker in rural Asia or a decision-maker at a global health institution, Teach to Reach invites you to be part of this transformative journey.

    Together, we can bridge the gap between global strategies and local realities, turning shared knowledge into powerful action for better health worldwide.

  • Who are we and why are we talking?

    Who are we and why are we talking?

    As learning leaders, we share a personal passion and commitment to solving wicked problems. We recognize that no one organization can solve these problems alone. We use our talent to advocate for new ways of doing new things, both inside and outside our structures. We see continual learning as the key to preparedness in a hyper-connected VUCA world. We believe that creative, collaborative, and networked business models are needed for both communities (“resilience”) and businesses (“sustainability”) that serve them (including humanitarian organizations) to survive and grow. The small farmer or grocery store perspective is the community-based perspective. Sustainability is the business. The point of our continued conversation is to determine how we can move to collaboration and action.

    Photo: Boats on the sea shore (Despite straight lines/Flickr)