In a climate of funding uncertainty, what if the most cost-effective investments in global health weren’t about supplies or infrastructure, but human networks that turn learning into action? In this short review article, we explore how peer learning networks that connect human beings to learn from and support each other can transform health outcomes with minimal resources.
The common thread uniting the different themes below reveals a powerful principle for our resource-constrained era: structured peer learning networks consistently deliver outsized impact relative to their cost.
Whether connecting health workers battling vaccine hesitancy in rural communities, maintaining essential immunization services during a global pandemic, supporting practitioners helping traumatized Ukrainian children, integrating AI tools ethically, or amplifying women’s voices from the frontlines – each case demonstrates how connecting practitioners across geographical and hierarchical boundaries transforms individual knowledge into collective action.
When health systems face funding shortfalls, these examples suggest that investing in human knowledge networks may be the most efficient approach available: they adapt to local contexts, identify solutions that work without additional resources, spread innovations rapidly, and build resilience that extends beyond any single intervention.
As one practitioner noted, “There’s a lot of trust in our network” – a resource that, unlike material supplies, grows stronger the more it’s used.
Sustaining gains in HPV vaccination coverage without additional resources
Recent analysis from TGLF’s Teach to Reach programme is providing valuable insights that both confirm and extend our understanding about what drives successful vaccination campaigns.
“Through peer learning networks, we discovered, for example, that tribal communities may show less vaccine hesitancy than urban populations, teachers could be more influential than health workers in driving vaccination acceptance, and religious institutions can become powerful allies,” explains TGLF’s Charlotte Mbuh. Other strategies include cancer survivors serving as advocates, WhatsApp groups connecting community health workers, and schoolchildren becoming effective messengers to initiate family conversations about vaccination
TGLF’s findings are based on analysis of implementation strategies shared by over 16,000 health professionals. Because they emerged through peer learning activities, participants got an immediate benefit. Now the real question is whether global partners and funders are recognize the significance and value of such field-based insights.
Most remarkably, analysis revealed that “success was often independent of resource levels” and “informal networks proved more important than formal ones” in sustaining high HPV vaccination coverage – suggesting that alongside material inputs, knowledge connections play a critical and often undervalued role.
Read the full article: HPV vaccination: New learning and leadership to bridge the gap between planning and implementation
5 years on: what the COVID-19 Peer Hub taught us about pandemic preparedness
When routine immunization services faced severe disruption in 2020, placing over 80 million children at risk, TGLF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) supported a digital network connecting more than 6,000 frontline health workers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The results demonstrate why knowledge networks matter during crises.
Within just 10 days, the network generated 1,200+ ideas and developed 700 peer-reviewed action plans. Most significantly, implementation rates were seven times higher than conventional approaches, with collaborative participants achieving 30% better outcomes in maintaining essential health services.
“This approach complemented traditional models by recognizing frontline workers as experts in their own contexts,” says Mbuh. Quantitative assessment showed structured peer learning achieved efficacy scores of 3.2 on a 4-point scale, compared to 1.4 for traditional cascade training – providing evidence that practitioners benefit from both expert guidance and structured horizontal connections.
Read the full article: How can we reliably spread evidence-based practices at the speed and scale modern health challenges demand?
Peer learning for Psychological First Aid: Supporting Ukrainian children
The EU-funded programme on Psychological First Aid (PFA) for children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine reveals how peer learning creates value that enhances technical training.
During a recent ChildHub webinar, TGLF’s Reda Sadki outlined five unique benefits practitioners gain: contextual wisdom that complements standardized guidance, pattern recognition across diverse cases, validation of experiential knowledge, real-time problem-solving for urgent challenges, and professional resilience in difficult circumstances.
One practitioner, Serhii Federov, helped a frightened girl during rocket strikes by focusing on her teddy bear – illustrating how field adaptations enrich formal protocols. Another noted: “There is a lot of trust in our network,” highlighting how sharing experiences reduces isolation while building technical capacity.
With multiple entry points from microlearning modules to intensive peer learning exercises, this programme demonstrates how even in active crisis zones, structured knowledge sharing can deliver immediate improvements in service quality.
Artificial Intelligence as co-worker: Redefining power in global health
As technological tools transform global health practice, a new thought-provoking podcast (led, of course, by Artificial Intelligence hosts) examines how AI could reshape knowledge production in resource-constrained settings.
Based on TGLF’s Reda Sadki’s new article and framework for AI in global health, the podcast uses a specific case study to explore the “transparency paradox” practitioners face – navigating how to incorporate AI tools within existing global health accountability structures.
The podcast outlines TGLF’s framework for integrating AI responsibly in global health contexts, emphasizing: “It’s not about replacing human expertise, it’s about making it stronger.” This approach prioritizes local context and community empowerment while ensuring ethical considerations remain central.
As technological adoption accelerates across global health settings, frameworks that recognize existing dynamics become increasingly essential for ensuring equitable benefits.
Read the full article: Artificial intelligence, accountability, and authenticity: knowledge production and power in global health crisis
Women inspiring women: Amplifying voices from the frontlines
The “Women Inspiring Women” initiative amplifies the experiences of 177 women health workers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America through both a published book and peer learning course launched on International Women’s Day (IWD).
These women share personal stories and advice written as letters to their daughters, offering unique perspectives from cities, villages, refugee camps, and conflict zones. Dr. Eugenia Norah Chigamane from Malawi writes: “Pursuing a career in health work is not for the faint hearted,” while Kinda Ida Louise, a midwife from Burkina Faso, advises: “Never give up in the face of obstacles and difficulties, because there is always a positive point in every situation.”
The initiative follows TGLF’s proven methodology: immersion in stories, personal reflection, peer exchange, and developing action plans – transforming personal narratives into structured learning that drives institutional change. With women forming two-thirds of the global health workforce yet remaining underrepresented in leadership, this approach addresses both individual empowerment and systemic transformation.
Get the book “Women inspiring women” and enroll in the free learning course here.
As we face an era of unprecedented funding constraints in global health, these examples demonstrate a powerful truth: networked learning approaches consistently deliver remarkable outcomes across diverse contexts.
By connecting practitioners across boundaries, The Geneva Learning Foundation facilitates the transformation of individual knowledge into collective action – creating the resilience and adaptability our health systems urgently need.
The evidence is compelling: investing in human knowledge networks may be among the most efficient pathways to sustainable health impact.
Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2025