More with less

Global health: learning to do more with less

Reda SadkiGlobal health

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 …

Equity matters: A practical approach to identify and eliminate biases

Patterns of prejudice: Connecting the dots helps health workers combat bias worldwide

Reda SadkiGlobal health

English | Français “I noticed that every time he went to appointments or emergency services, he was often met with suspicion or treated as if he was exaggerating his symptoms,” shared a community support worker from Canada, describing how an Indigenous teenager waited three months for mental health services while non-Indigenous youth were seen within weeks. This testimony was just one of hundreds shared during an unusual global gathering where frontline health workers confronted an uncomfortable truth: healthcare systems worldwide are riddled with biases that determine who lives and who dies. “Equity Matters: A Practical Approach to Identify and Eliminate Biases,” a special event hosted by the Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) on 10-11 April 2025, drew nearly 5,000 health professionals from 72 countries. What made the event distinctive wasn’t just its scope, but its approach: creating a forum where community health workers from rural Nigeria could share insights alongside WHO …

L’équité, ça compte: Une approche pratique pour identifier et éliminer les biais

L’équité compte: quand les soignants du monde entier témoignent des inégalités en santé

Reda SadkiGlobal health

English | Français GENÈVE, le 11 avril 2025 – Une initiative internationale inédite a rassemblé près de 5000 professionnels de santé pour partager leurs expériences face aux discriminations dans l’accès aux soins « Un enfant est mort parce que sa famille ne pouvait pas déposer 500 000 nairas [environ 300 francs suisses] avant le début des soins. Le père avait pourtant supplié qu’on s’occupe de l’enfant, proposant 100 000 nairas et promettant de vendre son bétail pour payer le reste. » Ce récit glaçant d’un professionnel de santé nigérian illustre la dure réalité des inégalités d’accès aux soins dont de nombreux témoignages ont été partagés lors d’un événement international consacré à l’équité en santé. Le 11 avril dernier, la Fondation Apprendre Genève a créé un espace de dialogue sans précédent, rassemblant près de 5 000 professionnels de la santé de 72 pays, dont 1 830 francophones. Intitulé « L’équité compte: …

Why YouTube is obsolete

Why YouTube is obsolete: From linear video content consumption to AI-mediated multimodal knowledge production

Reda SadkiGlobal health, Learning

Does the educational purpose of video change with AI? The purpose of video in education is undergoing a fundamental transformation in the age of artificial intelligence. This medium, long established in digital learning environments, is changing not just in how we consume it, but in its very role within the learning process. Video has always been a problem in education Video has always presented significant challenges in educational contexts. Its linear format makes it difficult to skim or scan content. Unlike text, which allows learners to quickly jump between sections, glance at headings, or scan for key information, video requires sequential consumption. This constraint has long been problematic for effective learning. Furthermore, in many regions where our learners are based, internet access remains expensive, unreliable, or limited. Downloading or streaming video content can be prohibitively costly in terms of both data usage and time. The result is straightforward: few learners …

Chilling effect

Chilling effect

Reda SadkiGlobal health

We reached out to senior decision makers working in global health about the new Certificate peer learning programme for equity in research and practice. Crickets. One CEO wrote: “We aren’t currently in a position to enter into new strategic partnerships on the topic.” The chilling effect is real. Many organizations are retreating from publicly championing equity work—even those with deep commitments to fairness and inclusion. But here’s the opportunity: While public discourse faces headwinds, meaningful work continues through trusted networks and communities of practice. This is precisely when innovation in equity approaches accelerates—away from the spotlight but with profound impact. The evidence is clear: health systems that neglect equity waste resources and deliver poorer outcomes. When research excludes key populations or policies overlook certain communities, we all lose—through inefficiency, increased costs, and diminished impact. This moment calls for courage from those who understand that equity is fundamental to effective health …

MOOC completion rates in context

Online learning completion rates in context: Rethinking success in digital learning networks

Reda SadkiGlobal health, Learning

The comprehensive analysis of 221 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) by Katy Jordan provides crucial insights for health professionals navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of digital learning. Her study, published in the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, examined completion rates across diverse platforms including Coursera, Open2Study, and others from 78 institutions.  These findings reveal important patterns that can transform how we approach professional learning in global health contexts. Beyond traditional completion metrics For global health epidemiologists accustomed to face-to-face training with financial incentives and dedicated time away from work, these completion rates might initially appear appalling. In traditional capacity building programswhere participants receive per diems, travel stipends, and paid time away from work. Outcomes such as “completion” are rarely measured. Instead, attendance remains the key metric. In fact, completion rates are often confused with attendance. From this perspective, even the highest MOOC completion rate of 52.1% could …

What is complex learning

What is complex learning?

Reda SadkiGlobal health

Complex learning happens when people solve real problems instead of just memorizing facts. Think about the difference between reading about how to ride a bicycle and actually learning to ride one. You cannot learn to ride a bicycle just by reading about it – you need to practice, fall, adjust, and try again until your body understands how to balance. Health challenges work the same way. Reading about how to respond to a disease outbreak is very different from actually managing one. Complex learning recognizes this difference. 5 key features of complex learning: Why it matters for health work: Most health challenges are complex problems. Disease outbreaks, vaccination campaigns, and health system improvements all require more than just technical knowledge. They require the ability to: Complex learning builds these abilities by engaging people with real challenges, supporting them as they try solutions, and helping them reflect on what they learn. …

What is networked learning

What is networked learning?

Reda SadkiGlobal health

Networked learning happens when people learn through connections with others facing similar challenges. Think about how market traders learn their business – not through formal classes, but by connecting with other traders, sharing tips, and learning from each other’s experiences. This natural way of learning through relationships is what networked learning tries to support. 5 key features of networked learning: Why networked learning matters for health work: Health systems are full of isolated practitioners who could benefit from each other’s knowledge: Networked learning connects these isolated pockets of knowledge, allowing good ideas to spread and adapt across different contexts. Unlike traditional training that pulls people away from their work for workshops, networked learning happens through ongoing connections that support everyday problem-solving. When health workers participate in networked learning, they gain access to a community of practice that continues to provide support long after formal training ends. Networked learning doesn’t replace …

Complex problems

What is a complex problem?

Reda SadkiGlobal health

What is a complex problem and what do we need to tackle it? Problems can be simple or complex. Simple problems have a clear first step, a known answer, and steps you can follow to get the answer. Complex problems do not have a single right answer. They have many possible answers or no answer at all. What makes complex problems really hard is that they can change over time. They have lots of different pieces that connect in unexpected ways. When you try to solve them, one piece changes another piece, which changes another piece. It is hard to see all the effects of your actions. When you do something to help, later on the problem might get worse anyway. You have to keep adapting your ideas. To solve really hard problems, you need to be able to: The most important things are being flexible, watching how every change …

Artificial intelligence, accountability, and authenticity knowledge production and power in global health crisis

Artificial intelligence, accountability, and authenticity: knowledge production and power in global health crisis

Reda SadkiGlobal health

I know and appreciate Joseph, a Kenyan health leader from Murang’a County, for years of diligent leadership and contributions as a Scholar of The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF). Recently, he began submitting AI-generated responses to Teach to Reach Questions that were meant to elicit narratives grounded in his personal experience. Seemingly unrelated to this, OpenAI just announced plans for specialized AI agents—autonomous systems designed to perform complex cognitive tasks—with pricing ranging from $2,000 monthly for a “high-income knowledge worker” equivalent to $20,000 monthly for “PhD-level” research capabilities. This is happening at a time when traditional funding structures in global health, development, and humanitarian response face unprecedented volatility. These developments intersect around fundamental questions of knowledge economics, authenticity, and power in global health contexts. I want to explore three questions: Artificial intelligence within punitive accountability structures of global health For years, Joseph had shared thoughtful, context-rich contributions based on his direct experiences. …