Stories

Tag: climate and health

  • Teach to Reach’s new leadership network connects health organizations tackling common challenges

    Teach to Reach’s new leadership network connects health organizations tackling common challenges

    The Geneva Learning Foundation is launching REACH (Relate, Engage, Act, Connect, Help), a new leadership network to connect local, national, and international leaders of health organizations who are solving similar problems in different countries.

    Launching November 6, 2024 REACH responds to an unexpected outcome of Teach to Reach, a peer learning platform that–in less than four years–has already documented over 10,000 local solutions and experiences to health challenges by connecting more than 60,000 participants across 77 countries.

    When organizations began formally participating in Teach to Reach in June 2024, many leaders discovered they were tackling similar challenges.

    A digital immunization tracking system in Rwanda sparked interest from several African countries.

    A community engagement approach to vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria resonated with teams in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

    These spontaneous connections led to the creation of REACH.

    What is Teach to Reach?

    “Teach to Reach is a place where you learn in the most formidable way. You’re learning from people’s experiences and it makes the learning very easy to adapt, very easy to replicate wherever you are,” says Ful Marine Fuen, Humanitarian Program Coordinator at Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services.

    Teach to Reach is a bilingual (French/English) peer learning platform where government health workers, local organizations, and frontline staff document, analyze, and share implementation solutions across borders.

    Half of all participants work in government health services, with around 80% based at district and facility levels where policy meets practice.

    The platform’s structured peer learning process includes pre-event experience sharing, live sessions for discussion and networking, and post-event analysis to capture insights.

    “It’s a meeting of giving and receiving. Because with Teach to Reach, we always learn from peers and we develop ourselves and develop others,” notes Arthur Fidelis Metsampito Bamlatol, Coordinator at AAPSEB Cameroon.

    From individual learning to organizational impact

    The impact of these connections is already visible.

    Nduka Ozor, Project Director at the Centre for HIV/AIDS and STD RESEARCH in Nigeria, describes how a single connection expanded his organization’s reach: “I was able to meet with a potential partner who stays in Australia. Something I thought is just an online stuff is moving into a greater partnership. We have had several meetings with other networks from that initial meeting, including with representatives of New York University.”

    These kinds of partnerships form naturally as organizations share their work.

    Imagine what else might happen as health leaders like these meet, connect, and learn:

    • In Rwanda, Albert Ndagijimana shared how his country achieved 95% childhood vaccination coverage through initiatives like digital tracking of immunization outreach
    • In Kenya, Samuel Mutambuki‘s organization works with other civil society groups to rehabilitate areas affected by illegal dumping and create community gardens
    • In Zimbabwe, Rebecca Chirenga’s team addresses how climate change and food insecurity are driving early marriage and teenage pregnancy, with half of girls dropping out before completing secondary school

    “It is essentially a framework that allows us to share experiences… to strengthen our capacities,” says Patrice Kazadi, Project Director at Save the Children International DR Congo. “The challenges in DRC can be the same as in Ivory Coast and what is done in Ivory Coast can also help address challenges in DRC.”

    REACH: A new network exclusively for Teach to Reach Partners

    REACH builds on this foundation but with an important distinction – it’s exclusively for leaders of organizations that have committed to partnership with Teach to Reach.

    Over 700 organizational leaders have already confirmed their participation, representing both government agencies and civil society organizations.

    The first REACH sessions will:

    1. Connect organizations working on similar challenges
    2. Share practical approaches that have worked in different contexts
    3. Facilitate direct conversations between organizational leaders
    4. Identify potential areas for collaboration

    How can organizations join REACH?

    To participate in REACH, organizations must complete all partnership steps for Teach to Reach:

    1. Attend a Partner briefing
    2. Complete the Partnership application
    3. Share the Teach to Reach announcement
    4. Have organizational leadership endorse participation
  • Making connections: Ghana’s Alumni of The Geneva Learning Foundation meet in Accra

    Making connections: Ghana’s Alumni of The Geneva Learning Foundation meet in Accra

    The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) will host its first physical-world meeting of Ghana Scholars and Alumni on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in Accra. Seventy-two health professionals from across Ghana’s health system will participate in the evening event.

    The participants include staff from the Ghana Health Service, teaching hospitals, district health directorates, and non-governmental organizations. They represent all levels of the health system, with 8 working at the national level, 8 at regional facilities, 39 in district health services, and 13 in community-based programs.

    “This is a great opportunity for all health workers for impact,” says one participant, reflecting the anticipation among attendees.

    These professionals are alumni of TGLF’s programs, including the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) and Teach to Reach initiatives, which focus on transforming global health strategies into practical, locally-adapted solutions.

    “TGLF’s learning platforms give us great information and knowledge that are feasible and can be applied in the field,” notes Gordon Yibey from the Asutifi South District.

    The meeting will feature a message from the Programme Manager of Ghana’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), followed by discussions on strengthening partnerships with Ghana Health Service and advancing immunization and responding to health of impacts of climate change, malaria, and NTDs. Participants will share experiences from their work and discuss challenges in implementing health programs across different contexts.

    To enable broad participation, the organizers have arranged a hybrid format. 31 participants will attend in person, while 39 will join remotely. This approach allows health workers from northern regions and remote districts to contribute their perspectives without traveling to Accra.

    As one participant from a civil society organization explains, “I will join remotely to avoid travelling and accommodation inconveniences since I am not a resident in Accra.”

    Another participant from Kintampo in the Bono East Region captures the spirit of anticipation: “Even though I’m not based in Accra, I can’t wait. I must be there as a member of TGLF Alumni.”

    The non-governmental health sector will be represented by staff of organizations that include the Community and Family Aid Foundation-Ghana, Seek to Save Foundation, and Restorative Seed Society, which work to complement government health services in various communities.

    Healthcare facilities with participating staff include teaching hospitals in Tamale, Sunyani, and Korle Bu, district hospitals, polyclinics, and community health centers. Several nursing training colleges will also participate, bringing perspectives from health education.

    The evening’s agenda includes discussions on:

    • Current challenges in Ghana’s health system
    • Implementation of Immunization Agenda 2030
    • Impact of climate change on health services and disease patterns
    • Malaria control and elimination strategies
    • Neglected Tropical Diseases, with specific focus on female genital schistosomiasis (FGS)
    • Service integration opportunities for primary health care (PHC)
    • Professional development opportunities
    • Collaboration between different levels and domains of the health system

    The meeting aims to facilitate knowledge sharing among health professionals and explore ways to strengthen Ghana’s health services through collaborative approaches grounded in The Geneva Learning Foundation’s innovative model to catalyze change led by health professionals working with communities.

    Another participant from looks ahead: “What next, after this historic encounter in Ghana for sustainable improvement and continued knowledge brokering exchange?”

    Painting: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024

  • Experiences shared at Teach to Reach 10

    Experiences shared at Teach to Reach 10

    Before, during, and after Teach to Reach on 20-21 June 2024, 21,398 health workers across the Global South—from veteran national managers to newly-trained community health workers—shared their unfiltered, frontline experiences of delivering care in an increasingly complex world.

    Ahead of Teach to Reach 11, The Geneva Learning Foundation has just released the English-language collection of “Experiences shared“.

    A second collection of experiences shared by French-speaking participants is also available.

    This remarkable collection captures over 600 experiences that health workers shared, in their own words, offering rare, ground-level perspectives on how global health challenges manifest in communities.

    Themes and topics explored in this collection:

    • How we use what we learn from Teach to Reach
    • Learning culture and performance
    • On the frontlines of climate change and health
    • Health workers insights to end malaria
    • Health workers insights to fight neglected tropical diseases
    • Integration of health services
    • Health workers insights on e-health
    • 50 years of the Expanded Programme for Immunization

    Through questions that probe specific moments rather than seeking generalizations, these accounts detail personal encounters with everything from climate change’s effects on malaria transmission to the challenges of integrating immunization with other health services.

    Health workers share candid stories of their successes, failures, and innovations: using WhatsApp for vaccine advocacy, adapting disease control strategies as weather patterns shift, building community trust during mass drug administration campaigns, and more.

    While these experiences are inherently context-specific and should not be mistaken for systematic evidence, their value lies in illuminating the lived reality of health service delivery—the kind of rich, qualitative insight that often eludes formal research.

    The collection represents a mosaic of perspectives from different levels of the health system, each contributor speaking in a personal capacity about their direct observations and experiences.

    This comprehensive volume is part of Teach to Reach, an ongoing cycle of learning and exchange facilitated by The Geneva Learning Foundation.

    Contributors receive back the complete collection of shared experiences, enabling them to learn from peers facing similar challenges across contexts.

    The experiences are also available as focused thematic publications on specific topics such as malaria control, climate change adaptation, and immunization integration.

    Finally, an accompanying insights report provides concise thematic summaries and analysis of key learnings about each of the topics that were explored.

    Whether your focus is immunization, digital health, climate change adaptation, or disease control, these raw accounts provide crucial context for anyone seeking to bridge the gap between global health policy and local implementation.

    Rather than providing definitive answers, this volume offers a unique window into how health workers learn, adapt, and drive change in their communities—making it an invaluable complement to traditional evidence for understanding and improving global health delivery.

    These Shared Experiences should be required reading for global health practitioners, policymakers, and researchers interested in understanding how macro-level health challenges and interventions play out on the ground.

    The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF). (2024). Teach to Reach 10. Experiences shared (1.0). Teach to Reach 10, Online. The Geneva Learning Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13366491

    La Fondation Apprendre Genève. (2024). Teach to Reach 10. Expériences partagées (1.0). Teach to Reach 10, En ligne. La Fondation Apprendre Genève (TGLF). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13769081

  • 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.

  • World Health Summit: to rebuild trust in global health, invest in health workers as community leaders

    World Health Summit: to rebuild trust in global health, invest in health workers as community leaders

    Discussions at the World Health Summit in Berlin this week have rightly emphasized the role of health workers, especially those directly serving local communities.

    Health workers stand at the intersection of climate change and community health.

    They are first-hand eyewitnesses and the first line of defense against the impacts of climate on health.

    There is real horror in the climate impacts on health they describe.

    Read the Health Worker Eyewitness reports “Climate change and health: Health workers on climate, community, and the urgent need for action“ and “On the frontline of climate change and health: A health worker eyewitness report”.

    There is also real hope in the local solutions and strategies they are already implementing to help communities survive such impacts, most often without support from their government or from the global community.

    There is no alternative to the health workforce as the ones most likely to drive effective adaptation strategies and build trust when it comes to climate change and health.

    Their unique value stems from several key factors:

    1. Firsthand experience: Health workers witness the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change daily, providing valuable insights.
    2. Community trust: As respected figures in their communities, health workers can effectively communicate climate-health risks and promote adaptive behaviors.
    3. Local knowledge: Their deep understanding of local contexts allows for the development of tailored, culturally appropriate solutions.
    4. Existing infrastructure: Health workers represent an established network that is already having to respond to climate change.

    As Dr. Maria Neira from the World Health Organization emphasized at Teach to Reach 10 in June 2024: “We need to use our voice, the power of the voice of health, to convince governments to do three things. First, accelerate the transition to clean sources of energy to stop this disaster. Second, to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems. And third, to accelerate the transition to better planning of urban areas…” Learn more about Teach to Reach.

    However, current global health investments often overlook the potential of health workers.

    Furthermore, there is a tendency to see them as instruments to implement national plans and policies and recipients for knowledge about climate change that they are assumed to be lacking.

    This fails to recognize the potential of health workers to lead, not just execute plans, in the face of climate change impacts on health.

    It also fails to recognize the significance and value of local knowledge and experience that health workers hold because they are there every day.

    A shift in focus could make health workers the most obvious “best buy” for governments and international funders.

    By investing in health workers as agents of change, we can leverage an existing, trusted workforce to rapidly scale up adaptation efforts and rebuild trust in global health initiatives.

    One innovative model developed by The Geneva Learning Foundation has shown promise in this area, connecting over 60,000 health practitioners across 137 countries and reaching frontline government staff working for health in conflict zones and other challenging contexts.

    This approach not only maximizes the impact of climate-health investments but also strengthens health systems overall, creating a win-win scenario for global health and climate resilience.

    Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024

  • 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.

  • Klepac and colleagues‘ scoping review of climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases: what about the epistemic significance of health worker knowledge?

    Klepac and colleagues‘ scoping review of climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases: what about the epistemic significance of health worker knowledge?

    By Luchuo E. Bain and Reda Sadki

    The scoping review by Klepac et al. provides a comprehensive overview of codified academic knowledge about the complex interplay between climate change and a wide range of infectious diseases, including malaria and 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

    The review synthesized findings from 511 papers published between 2010 and 2023, revealing that the vast majority of studies focused on malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and leishmaniasis, while other NTDs were relatively understudied.

    The geographical distribution of studies also varied, with malaria studies concentrated in Africa, Brazil, China, and India, and dengue and chikungunya studies more prevalent in Australia, China, India, Europe, and the USA.

    One of the most striking findings of the review is the potential for climate change to have profound and varied effects on the distribution and transmission of malaria and NTDs, with impacts likely to vary by disease, location, and time.

    However, the authors also highlight the uncertainty surrounding the overall global impact due to the complexity of the interactions and the limitations of current predictive models.

    This underscores the need for more comprehensive, collaborative, and standardized modeling efforts to better understand the direct and indirect effects of climate change on these diseases.

    Another significant insight from the review is the relative lack of attention given to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the existing literature.

    Only 34% of the included papers considered mitigation strategies, and a mere 5% addressed adaptation strategies.

    Could we imagine future mapping to recognize the value of new mechanisms for and actors of knowledge production that do not meet the conventional criteria for what currently counts as valid knowledge?

    What might be the return on going at least one step further beyond questioning our own underlying assumptions about ‘how science is done’ to actually supporting and investing in innovative indigenous- and community-led, co-created initiatives?

    This gap highlights the urgent need for more research on how to effectively reduce the impact of climate change on malaria and NTDs, particularly in areas with the highest disease burdens and the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

    While the review emphasizes the need for more research to fill these evidence gaps, this begs the question of the resources and time required to fill them.

    This is where there is likely to be value in the experiential data from health workers on the frontlines to provide insights into the mechanisms of climate change impacts on health and effective response strategies.

    The upcoming Teach to Reach 10 event (background | registration) , a massive open peer learning platform that brings together health professionals from around the world to network and learn from each other’s experiences, offers a unique opportunity to engage thousands of health workers in a dialogue that can deepen our understanding of how climate change is affecting the health of local communities.

    Experiential data has been, historically, dismissed as ‘anecdotal’ evidence at best.

    The value and significance of what you know because you are there every day, serving the health of your community, has been ignored.

    The expertise and knowledge of frontline health workers are often overlooked or undervalued in global health decision-making processes, despite their critical role in delivering health services and their deep understanding of local contexts and challenges.

    Yes, the importance of incorporating the insights and experiences of health workers in the global health discourse cannot be overstated.

    As Abimbola and Pai (2020) argue, the decolonization of global health requires a shift towards valuing and amplifying the voices of those who have been historically marginalized and excluded from the dominant narratives.

    This concept, known as epistemic justice, recognizes that knowledge is not solely the domain of academic experts but is also held by those with lived experiences and practical expertise (Fricker, 2007).

    Epistemic injustice, as defined by Fricker (2007), occurs when an individual is wronged in their capacity as a knower, either through testimonial injustice (when a speaker’s credibility is undervalued due to prejudice) or hermeneutical injustice (when there is a gap in collective understanding that disadvantages certain groups).

    In the context of global health, epistemic injustice often manifests in the marginalization of knowledge held by communities and health workers in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the dominance of Western biomedical paradigms over local ways of knowing (Bhakuni & Abimbola, 2021).

    By engaging health workers from around the world in peer learning and knowledge sharing, Teach to Reach can help to challenge the epistemic injustice that has long plagued global health research and practice.

    By providing a platform for health workers to share their experiences and insights, Teach to Reach – alongside many other initiatives focused on listening to and learning from communities – can contribute to ensuring that the fight against malaria and NTDs in the face of climate change is informed not only by rigorous scientific evidence but also by the practical wisdom of those on the ground.

    That is only if global partners are willing to challenge their own assumptions, and take the time to listen and learn.

    Moreover, the decolonization of global health requires a shift towards more equitable and inclusive forms of knowledge production and dissemination.

    This involves challenging the historical legacies of colonialism and racism that have shaped the global health field, as well as the power imbalances that continue to privilege certain forms of knowledge over others (Büyüm et al., 2020).

    By fostering a dialogue between health workers and global partners, Teach to Reach can help to bridge the gap between research and practice, ensuring that the latest scientific findings are effectively translated into actionable strategies that are grounded in local realities and responsive to the needs of those most affected by climate change and infectious diseases.

    The value of experiential data from health workers in filling evidence gaps and informing effective response strategies cannot be understated.

    As the Klepac review highlights, there is a paucity of research on the impacts of climate change on many NTDs and the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

    While more rigorous scientific studies are undoubtedly needed, waiting years or decades for this evidence to accumulate before taking action is not a viable option given the urgency of the climate crisis and its devastating impacts on health.

    Health workers’ firsthand observations and experiences can provide valuable insights into the complex mechanisms through which climate change is affecting the distribution and transmission of malaria and NTDs, as well as the effectiveness of different intervention strategies in real-world settings.

    This type of contextual knowledge is essential for developing locally tailored solutions that account for the unique social, cultural, and environmental factors that shape disease dynamics in different communities.

    Furthermore, engaging health workers as active partners in research and decision-making processes can help to ensure that the solutions developed are not only scientifically sound but also feasible, acceptable, and sustainable in practice.

    The involvement of frontline health workers in the co-creation of knowledge and interventions can lead to more effective, equitable, and context-specific solutions that are responsive to the needs and priorities of local communities.

    References

    Abimbola, S., & Pai, M. (2020). Will global health survive its decolonisation? The Lancet, 396(10263), 1627-1628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32417-X

    Bhakuni, H., & Abimbola, S. (2021). Epistemic injustice in academic global health. The Lancet Global Health, 9(10), e1465-e1470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00301-6

    Büyüm, A. M., Kenney, C., Koris, A., Mkumba, L., & Raveendran, Y. (2020). Decolonising global health: If not now, when? BMJ Global Health, 5(8), e003394. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003394

    Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power and the ethics of knowing. Oxford University Press.

    Klepac, P., et al., 2024. Climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases: a scoping review. Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trae026

  • How will we turn a climate change and health resolution at the World Health Assembly into local action?

    How will we turn a climate change and health resolution at the World Health Assembly into local action?

    This video was prepared by the World Health Organization with voices of health workers speaking at the Special Event “From community to planet” hosted by The Geneva Learning Foundation.

    The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) has developed a new model that could help address the urgent challenge of climate change impacts on health by empowering and connecting health workers who serve communities on the receiving end of those impacts.

    This model leverages TGLF’s track record of facilitating large-scale peer learning networks to generate locally-grounded evidence, elevate community voices, and drive policy change.

    A key strength of TGLF’s approach is its ability to rapidly connect diverse networks of health workers across geographic and health system boundaries.

    For example, in March 2020, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, TGLF worked with a group of 600 of its alumni – primarily government staff working in local communities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America – to develop the Ideas Engine.

    Within two weeks, the Ideas Engine had connected over 6,000 immunization staff from 90 countries to share strategies for maintaining essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within just 10 days, participants contributed 1,235 ideas and practices.

    They then developed and implemented recovery plans, learning from and supporting each other. 

    Within three months, over a third of participants reported successfully implementing their plans, informed by these crowdsourced insights.

    This illustrates how peer learning – a tenet of TGLF’s model – can facilitate and accelerate problem-solving.

    The Ideas Engine became a core component of TGLF’s model for turning knowledge into action, results, and impact.

    TGLF has also demonstrated the model’s effectiveness in informing global health policy initiatives.

    Working with the Wellcome Trust, TGLF mobilized – in the first year – over 8,000 health professionals from 99 low- and middle-income countries to take ownership of the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) strategy.

    This participatory approach generated over 500,000 data points in just four months, providing IA2030 stakeholders with valuable, contextually-grounded evidence to inform decision-making.

    Fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation among health workers lays the groundwork for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable approach to global health in the face of accelerating climate change.

    Applying this model to the climate and health nexus, TGLF supported 4,700 health workers from 68 countries in 2023 to share observations of changes in climate and health in the communities they serve.

    Over 1,200 observations highlighted the diverse and severe consequences already being experienced.

    See what we learned: Investing in the health workforce is vital to tackle climate change: A new report shares insights from over 1,200 on the frontline

    This demonstrates the feasibility of rapidly generating a new kind of evidence base on local climate-health realities.

    Furthermore, if we assume that each health worker could reduce the climate-related health burden for those they serve by a modest five percent, a million health workers connected to and learning from each other could make a significant dent in climate-attributable disease and death. 

    This illustrates the model’s potential to achieve population-level impact, beyond sharing knowledge and strengthening capacity.

    At Teach to Reach 10 on 20-21 June 2024, over 20,000 health workers will be sharing experience of their responses to the impacts of climate change on health. Learn more…

    It is important to note that TGLF’s approach differs from models that work through health professional associations in several key ways.

    First, it directly engages health workers across all levels of the health system, not just those in leadership positions.

    Second, it focuses on peer learning and locally-led action, rather than top-down dissemination of information.

    Third, it leverages digital technologies to connect health workers across geographies and hierarchies, enabling rapid exchange of insights and innovations at the point of need.

    Finally, it embeds participatory and citizen science methods to ensure solutions are grounded in community needs and that everyone can contribute to climate and health science.

    TGLF’s model offers a complementary pathway to address current global priorities of generating novel evidence on climate-health impacts in ways that are directly relevant and useful to communities facing them.

    This model can help fill critical evidence gaps, identify locally-adapted solutions, and build momentum for transformative change.

    TGLF’s track record in mobilizing collective intelligence to drive impact in global health crises suggest transferability to the climate and health agenda.

    As the world grapples with the accelerating health threats posed by climate change, investing in health workers as agents of resilience has never been more urgent or important.

  • 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization

    50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization

    In two articles published during the fiftieth year of the World Health Organization’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Samarasekera and Shattock provide valuable insights into EPI’s remarkable impact on reducing childhood mortality and morbidity since its launch in 1974.

    Shattock et al. present a detailed quantitative analysis of the lives saved and health gains attributed to vaccination.

    They estimate that “since 1974, vaccination has averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million among children younger than 5 years of whom 101 million were infants younger than 1 year.” 

    The authors further emphasize the long-term benefits of vaccination, noting that “for every death averted, 66 years of full health were gained on average, translating to 10.2 billion years of full health gained.”

    These findings underscore the transformative impact of the Expanded Programme on Immunization on global health outcomes.

    Bill Moss of the International Vaccines Access Center (IVAC) calls this “one of humankind’s greatest achievements”.

    Inherent uncertainties based on the modeling approaches, data limitations and gaps, and challenges in attributing causality over a 50-year time horizon do not diminish their significance.

    Fresh challenges

    Samarasekera highlights several fresh challenges as EPI moves into its next 50 years:

    1. COVID-19 pandemic disruptions: The pandemic has led to 67 million children globally missing out on one or more vaccines. This has resulted in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, with measles outbreaks being reported in twice as many countries in 2023 compared to 2022. Due to pandemic disruption, many unimmunized children are now older than 2 years, requiring new approaches to reach them and prevent further outbreaks.
    2. Sustainable funding: Countries are facing challenges in sustaining funding for immunization programs due to debt crises, conflicts, and climate change.
    3. Improving collaboration during emergencies: There is a need for quicker access to vaccines and better coordination among stakeholders during humanitarian crises and outbreaks.
    4. Reaching the “last child”: Challenges persist in reaching children in conflict areas, active war zones, and those facing humanitarian crises, with immunization coverage in these settings being as low as 50-60%.

    While both articles recognize the urgent need to address these setbacks and reach underserved populations, they tend to emphasize the role of global agencies and donors in driving progress.

    For example, Samarasekera highlights the importance of initiatives like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which was established in 2000 “to close the equity gap in access to vaccines,” and the Accelerated Development and Introduction Plans, which “expedited vaccine introduction in Gavi-supported countries.”

    While global plans and funding have been – and remain – undoubtedly crucial, this begs three questions:

    How to carry out such coordinated action and advocacy?

    Who will do it?

    What, if anything, should be different, compared to what was done in the past?

    Can we assume deployment?

    Both articles acknowledge that today’s challenges are different, and that immunization strategies should be grounded in local realities.

    Samarasekera’s report suggests exploring ideas such as involving community health workers more effectively, introducing newly approved vaccines (e.g., for malaria), and innovating vaccine delivery methods (e.g., microarray patches, single-dose vaccines).

    Ephrem T. Lemango, for example, emphasizes the role of health workers : “They are the most trusted source of information” for communities. “If we can skill these community health workers to vaccinate, provide them the required vaccines, then the likelihood of reaching the last child could be much more imminent”.

    Samarasekera also quotes O’Brien, who stresses that “every government that has had backsliding needs a plan, and most governments have made a plan and are starting to deploy. We have a very narrow window to get this completed.” 

    Neither article delves deeply into the specific strategies or mechanisms that connect global policy and funding to local action.

    Can “deployment” be assumed?

    There is wide recognition that local adaptation is a key challenge.

    This is most obvious in zones of armed conflict or when faced with the breakdown of trust in vaccines or government

    At the end of the day, it is health workers at the local levels that get the job of vaccination done.

    They are also the first to see epidemic outbreaks and to recognize changes in community trust.

    Does the future of vaccination require new ways of thinking and doing to adapt or invent strategies to lead to improved, sustained health outcomes?

    Global advocacy for community health workers to be paid is undeniably important.

    But paid to do what, how, and with what degree of recognition and support of their capacities, leadership, and expertise?

    This is where learning from the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) may offer useful insights that complement the top-down, global-level efforts emphasized in the articles.

    What is the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030)?

    Launched by the Geneva Learning Foundation in March 2022, the Movement is a global network of over 10,000 health workers from 99 countries who have pledged to work together to achieve the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030, the global strategy adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2020.

    Through peer learning and locally-led action, IA2030 members are sharing experiences, identifying root causes of immunization challenges, and implementing corrective actions tailored to their specific contexts.

    What does that actually mean?

    Wasnam Faye, a Senegalese midwife, moved the needle of vaccination coverage in a poor-performing remote health outpost from 8% to over 80%.

    How did she do it?

    At Teach to Reach, she met a doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo who shared his EPI know-how with her, over WhatsApp.

    She then invited and trained caregivers to become peer educators, also building on what she heard at Teach to Reach.

    She then realized that she could speak about HPV vaccination for their daughters to mothers who came for cervical cancer screening.

    In global health, individual case studies and lived experience are often dismissed as anecdotal evidence.

    Each edition of Teach to Reach connects over 15,000 health workers, who share experience around their local challenges.

    At that scale, the cumulative insights gained take us beyond anecdotes and enable us to document how change happens at the local levels.

    Watch: Teach to Reach Insights Live with Orin Levine

    Rethinking immunization’s learning culture: Capacity for change, innovation, and risk

    To catch up and achieve the goals set for 2030, these articles suggest that a combination of increased funding, political commitment, and innovative strategies will be needed.

    It is important to recognize that top-down control and directive management appear to have been key to how immunization programmes achieved impressive results in previous decades.

    This explains why some EPI stakeholders may have an innovation challenge: why risk making changes or consider new models? 

    Addressing these underlying issues may require strengthening learning culture.

    “Learning culture” is a new concept in global health that provides the missing link between learning and performance.

    It measures the capacity for change and the leadership to recognize and support that capacity over time.

    That requires sustained financing, including specific funding required to test and scale new models and approaches. 

    But who will risk funding new ways to tackle the challenges facing immunization programs, such as weak health systems, inadequate infrastructure, and community trust?

    References

    Faye, W., Jones, I., Mbuh, C., & Sadki, R. (2023). Wasnam Faye. Vaccine angels – Give us the opportunity and we can perform miracles. (IA2030 Case study 18) (1.0). The Geneva Learning Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7785244

    Jones, I., Eller, K., Mbuh, C., Steed, I., & Sadki, R. (2024). Making connections at Teach to Reach 8 (IA2030 Listening and Learning Report 6) (1.0). Teach to Reach: Connect 8, Geneva, Switzerland. The Geneva Learning Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8398550

    Jones, I., Sadki, R., Brooks, A., Gasse, F., Mbuh, C., Zha, M., Steed, I., Sequeira, J., Churchill, S., & Kovanovic, V. (2022). IA2030 Movement Year 1 report. Consultative engagement through a digitally enabled peer learning platform (1.0). The Geneva Learning Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7119648

    Samarasekera, U., 2024. 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. The Lancet 403, 1971–1972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01016-X

    Shattock, A.J., et al. Contribution of vaccination to improved survival and health: modelling 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. The Lancet S014067362400850X. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00850-X

  • Climate change and health: Health workers on climate, community, and the urgent need for action

    Climate change and health: Health workers on climate, community, and the urgent need for action

    As world leaders gathered for the COP28 climate conference, the Geneva Learning Foundation called for the insights of health workers on the frontlines of climate and health to be heard amidst the global dialogue.

    Ahead of Teach to Reach 10, a new eyewitness report analyses 219 new insights shared by 122 health professionals – primarily those working in local communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America – to two critical questions: How is climate change affecting the health of the communities you serve right now? And what actions must world leaders take to help you protect the people in your care?

    (Teach to Reach is a regular peer learning event. The tenth edition on 20-21 June 2024 is expected to gather over 20,000 community-based health workers to share experience of climate change impacts on health. Request your invitation here.)

    Their answers paint a picture of the accelerating health crisis unfolding in the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Community nurses, doctors, midwives and public health officers detail how volatile weather patterns are driving up malnutrition, infectious disease, mental illness, and more – while simultaneously battering health systems and blocking patient access to care.

    Yet woven throughout are also threads of resilience, ingenuity and hope. Health advocates are not just passively observing the impacts of climate change, but actively responding – often with scarce resources. From spearheading tree-planting initiatives to strengthening infectious disease surveillance to promoting climate literacy, they are innovating locally-tailored solutions.

    Importantly, respondents emphasize that climate impacts cannot be viewed in isolation, but rather as one facet of the interlocking crises of environmental destruction, poverty, and health inequity. Their insights make clear that climate action and community health are two sides of the same coin – and that neither will be achieved without deep investment in local health workforces and systems.

    Rooted in direct lived experience and charged with moral urgency, these frontline voices offer a stirring reminder that climate change is not some distant specter, but a life-and-death challenge already at the doorsteps of the global poor. As this new collection of insights implores, it’s high time their perspectives moved from the margins to the center of the climate debate.

    As Charlotte Mbuh of The Geneva Learning Foundation explains: “We hope that the chorus of voices will grow to strengthen the case for  why and how investment in human resources for health is likely to be a ‘best buy’ for community-focused efforts to build the climate resilience of public health systems.”

    Jones, I., Mbuh, C., Sadki, R., & Steed, I. (2024). Climate change and health: Health workers on climate, community, and the urgent need for action (1.0). The Geneva Learning Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11194918