Teach to Reach 10 Experiences shared

Experiences shared at Teach to Reach 10

Global health

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

Teach to Reach 11 briefing for partners

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

Global 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 World Health Organization Investment Round Climate change and health

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

Global health

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

Psychological First Aid in Support of Children Affected by the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine: the Experiences of Children, Caregivers and Helpers

Support of children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine: Bridging practice and learning through the sharing of experience

Global health

Psychological First Aid in Support of Children Affected by the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine: the Experiences of Children, Caregivers and Helpers

“Do you have an experience supporting children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine that you would like to share with colleagues? Tell us what happened and how it turned out. Be specific and detailed so that we can understand your story.”

This was one of the questions that applicants to the Certificate peer learning programme on Psychological First Aid (PFA) in support of children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine could choose to answer.

If you are reading this, you may be one of the education, health, or social work professionals who answered questions like these. You may also be a policy maker or organizational leader asking yourself how children from Ukraine and the people who work with them can be better supported.

The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF), in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and with support from the European Union’s EU4Health programme, is pleased to announce the publication of the first “Listening and Learning” report focused on the experiences of education, social work, and health professionals who support children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

This new report, published in both Ukrainian and English editions, gives back the collected experiences of 873 volunteers and professionals who applied to this new programme in spring 2024.

Readers will find short, thematic analyses. A comprehensive annex is also included to present the full compendium of experiences shared.

To transform these rich experiences into actionable insights, the Foundation’s Insights Unit applied a rigorous analytical process. This included systematic consolidation of data, thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns, synthesis of key trends and effective practices, and careful curation of representative experiences. This methodology allows for the rapid sharing of on-the-ground knowledge and innovative practices tailored to the specific context of MHPSS in humanitarian crises. As with any qualitative analysis, these insights should be considered alongside other forms of evidence and expertise in the field.

Experiences shared reflect the intrinsic motivation of helpers, their subtle attention to children, the magic of doing the right thing at the right moment. They also describe the personal and practical challenges helpers face when working with distressed individuals and communities, often with limited resources. 

This programme, offered by The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), employs an innovative peer learning-to-action model grounded in the most recent advances in the learning sciences.

To complement existing top-down skills-based training in Psychological First Aid (PFA), we are working with IFRC to create structured opportunities for practitioners to learn directly from each other’s experiences while applying what they learn to their own work, aligning to the best guidance and norms for mental health and psychosocial support. For professionals working in crisis settings, this offers several key advantages:

It leverages the collective expertise and tacit knowledge of practitioners on the ground.

It creates a supportive community of action, connecting professionals across boundaries of geography, hierarchy, and job roles.

It helps bridge gaps between theory and practice by positioning learning at the point of work.

It fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills through peer analysis and feedback.

It is highly adaptable and can be implemented quickly in response to emerging crises.

This process not only enhanced participants’ understanding of Psychological First Aid principles but also built their capacity to critically reflect on and improve their practice. By engaging professionals from across Europe and Ukraine in both English and Ukrainian cohorts, the exercise fostered cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning.

As the humanitarian sector continues to grapple with how to effectively build capacity at scale, particularly in rapidly evolving crisis situations, we believe this peer learning-to-action model offers a promising pathway. It empowers practitioners as both learners and teachers, creating a dynamic and sustainable approach to professional development that can adapt to meet emerging needs.

The Foundation would like to thank IFRC, the Psychosocial Support Centre (PSC), National Societies, as well as the network of governmental and non-governmental organizations across Europe that has engaged in this new approach, as a complement to their efforts on the ground. As the programme continues through to June 2025, this report will be followed by others to share what we learned from successive peer learning exercises, folllowed by the development and implementation of local projects guided by the collective intelligence of practitioners.

We invite you to explore these insights, reflect on their implications for your own work, and consider how this approach might be applied to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support capacity in your own context.

The Geneva Learning Foundation

Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024

Why become a Teach to Reach Partner?

Why become a Teach to Reach Partner?

Global health

We need new ways to tackle global health challenges that impact local communities.

It is obvious that technology alone is not enough.

We need human ingenuity, collaboration, and the ability to share across borders and boundaries.

That is why I am excited about Teach to Reach.

Imagine if we could tap into the collective intelligence of over 20,000 health professionals working on the front lines in low- and middle-income countries.

What insights could we gain?

What innovations might we uncover?

This is exactly what Teach to Reach is doing.

In June 2024, Teach to Reach 10 brought together 21,389 participants from across the health system – from community health workers to national policymakers.

This diverse group represents an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience that has often been overlooked in global health decision-making.

Bridge the gap between policy and practice

One of the most exciting aspects of Teach to Reach is how it bridges the gap between policy and practice.

Too often, there is a disconnect between those making decisions at the global level and those implementing programs on the ground.

Teach to Reach creates a direct line of communication, allowing frontline workers to influence policy and program design in real-time.

This approach not only leads to more effective interventions but also empowers health workers, increasing their engagement and motivation.

Scale knowledge transfer and translation efficiently

In global health, we are always looking for ways to scale solutions efficiently.

This scaling effect is particularly crucial in low-resource settings, where formal learning opportunities may be limited.

Teach to Reach applies this principle to peer learning.

Then there is speed.

The platform can disseminate best practices and local solutions much more rapidly than traditional top-down approaches.

There is also the “know-do” gap or the “applicability problem”.

Teach to Reach supports continuous learning by sharing experience, focused on how to get results, especially at the local community level.

Measuring impact and driving innovation

The Teach to Reach platform uses a comprehensive framework to track the value of participation for individuals and the benefits for partners.

But we do not stop there.

Teach to Reach is just one component in the Geneva Learning Foundation’s model to support new learning and leadership to drive change.

We then track and measure what participants do with the knowledge gained and the experiences shared.

We do this all the way to the time where improved health outcomes can be attributed to a discovery or significant learning made at Teach to Reach.

Moreover, Teach to Reach serves as an innovation hub, surfacing diverse ideas and solutions from the field.

For organizations looking to drive innovation in their global health programs, this platform offers a new path to creative problem-solving with those closest to the challenges.

A call to action for global health leaders

If you are a leader in the global health space, I urge you to consider partnering with Teach to Reach.

Here are 5 ways in which partners have found utility in Teach to Reach:

  1. Inform a strategy with ground-level insights.
  2. Expand reach across multiple countries and health system levels.
  3. Tap into a diverse pool of local solutions – and help augment and scale them.
  4. Demonstrate commitment to supporting locally-led, community-based positive change.
  5. Accelerate progress towards global health goals through collaborative learning.

In today’s interconnected world, our ability to solve global health challenges depends on our capacity to learn from one another and scale effective solutions quickly.

Teach to Reach is pioneering a new approach that harnesses the power of peer learning to do just that.

Investing in Teach to Reach can help unlock the full potential of our global health workforce and make significant strides towards a healthier, more equitable world.

The future of global health is collaborative.

Teach to Reach provides a way to turn the rhetoric of collaboration into practical action.

How Teach to Reach can help your organization

Can Teach to Reach help your organization?

Global health

Teach to Reach stands as a unique nexus in the global health landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities for diverse stakeholders to engage, learn, and drive meaningful change.

With over 60,000 participants from more than 90 countries, this platform, network, and community bring together an unparalleled mix of frontline health workers, policymakers, and key decision-makers.

At Teach to Reach, research institutions and academic researchers engage health workers to translate their findings into policy and practice

For research institutions and academic partners, Teach to Reach provides a site for knowledge translation.

It provides direct access to practitioners and policymakers at all levels, enabling researchers to share findings with those best positioned to apply them in real-world settings.

The platform’s interactive features, such as “Teach to Reach Questions,” allow for rapid data collection and feedback, helping bridge the gap between research and practice.

At Teach to Reach, global agencies can listen and learn with local communities

Global health organizations can leverage Teach to Reach to gain invaluable insights into unmet needs of local communities.

With half of the participants working in districts and local facilities, and many in challenging contexts such as armed conflict zones or remote rural areas, partners can engage with ground-level perspectives that inform development, strategies, and programme design.

This direct engagement with frontline workers offers a unique window into the realities of diverse health systems.

At Teach to Global, global actors help elevate the voices and leadership of local actors

For those looking to make a tangible impact on global health equity, Teach to Reach’s scholarship programme offers a compelling opportunity.

Scholarship sponsors support health workers from low and middle-income countries to participate in Teach to Reach.

This investment not only builds individual capacity but strengthens health systems by recognizing and amplifying health worker voices and expertise.

Facilitate meaningful dialogue on critical issues

Global health stakeholders find in Teach to Reach a platform that facilitates meaningful dialogue on critical issues.

The diverse participant base, including national policymakers and heads of national programmes, creates an environment ripe for new kinds of inclusive dialogue that can shape national and global strategies and frameworks.

Become a Teach to Reach sponsor

This mix of participants offers partners a unique opportunity to engage with key decision-makers in an interactive, collaborative setting.

Some partners also become sponsors by contributing to the costs.

For example, partners can sponsor scholarships for health workers to support their participation in Teach to Reach.

This is just one of the ways in which partners can help sustain Teach to Reach as a platform, network, and community.

Sponsoring Teach to Reach aligns seamlessly with corporate social responsibility goals in global health.

By this platform, organizations can articulate their concrete commitment to strengthening health systems, showing their support to health workers, and promoting health equity.

This engagement goes beyond traditional philanthropy, offering sponsors a way to showcase their dedication to improving global health outcomes while enhancing their reputation in the field.

In essence, Teach to Reach offers a multifaceted value proposition for partners.

It is a place to listen and learn, to share and collaborate, to influence and be influenced.

Whether an organization’s goals revolve around research impact, market insights, policy influence, or social responsibility, Teach to Reach provides a unique, efficient, and impactful way to achieve them.

By joining this community, partners do not just support a platform – they become part of a movement that is reshaping how we approach global health challenges, one connection at a time.

Teach to Reach 11 Call for Partners

Why participate in Teach to Reach?

Global health

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.

Brevity’s burden The executive summary trap in global health

Brevity’s burden: The executive summary trap in global health

Global health, Learning strategy

It was James Gleick who noted in his book “Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything” the societal shift towards valuing speed over depth:

“We have become a quick-reflexed, multitasking, channel-flipping, fast-forwarding species. We don’t completely understand it, and we’re not altogether happy about it.”

In global health, there’s a growing tendency to demand ever-shorter summaries of complex information.
 
“Can you condense this into four pages?”

“Is there an executive summary?”

These requests, while stemming from real time constraints, reveal fundamental misunderstandings about the nature of knowledge and learning.

Worse, they contribute to perpetuating existing global health inequities.

Here is why – and a few ideas of what we can do about it.

We lose more than time in the race to brevity

The push for shortened summaries is understandable on the surface.

Some clinical researchers, for example, undeniably face increasing time pressures.

Many are swamped due to underlying structural issues, such as healthcare professional shortages.

This is the result of a significant shift over time, leaving less time for deep engagement with new information.

If we accept these changes, we lose far more than time.

Why does learning require time, depth, and context?

True understanding and the ability to apply knowledge in diverse contexts demands deep engagement, reflection, and often, struggle with our own assumptions and mental models.

Consider the process of learning a new language.

No one expects to become fluent by reading a few pages of grammar rules.

Mastery requires immersion, practice, making mistakes, and gradually building competence over time.

The same principle applies to making sense of multifaceted global health issues.

5 risks of executive summaries

Here are five risks of demanding summaries of everything:

  1. Oversimplification: Complex health challenges often cannot be adequately captured in a few pages. Crucial nuances and context-specific details get lost. Those ‘details’ may actually be the ‘how’ of what makes the difference for those leading change to achieve results.
  2. Losing context: Information that can be easily summarized (quantitative data, broad generalizations) gets prioritized over more nuanced, qualitative, or context-specific knowledge. 
  3. Stunting critical thinking: The habit of relying on summaries can atrophy our capacity for deep, critical engagement with complex ideas.
  4. Overconfidence: It assumes that learning is primarily about information transfer, rather than a process of engagement, reflection, and application. Reading a summary can give the false impression that one has grasped a topic, leading to overconfidence in decision-making.
  5. Devaluing local knowledge: Rich, contextual experiences from health workers and communities often do not lend themselves to easy summarization.

The expectation that complex local realities can always be distilled into brief summaries for consumption by decision-makers (often in the Global North) perpetuates existing power structures in global health.

The ability to demand summaries often comes from positions of power.

This can lead to privileging certain voices (those who can produce polished summaries) over others (those with deep, context-specific knowledge that resists easy summarization).

This knowledge then gets sidelined in favor of more easily digestible but potentially less relevant information.

10 ways to value and engage with knowledge in global health

Addressing the “summary culture” requires more than better time management.

It calls for a fundamental rethinking of how we value and engage with knowledge in global health.

Instead of defaulting to demands for ever-shorter summaries, we need to rethink how we engage with knowledge.

Here are 10 practical ways to do so.

  1. Prioritize productive diversity over reductive simplicity: Sometimes, it is better to engage deeply many different ideas than to seek one reductive generalization.
  2. Value local expertise: Prioritize knowledge from those closest to the issues, even when it does not fit neatly into summary format.
  3. Value diverse knowledge forms: Recognize that not all valuable knowledge can be easily summarized. Create space for stories, case studies, and rich qualitative data.
  4. Improve information design: Instead of just shortening, focus on presenting information in more accessible and engaging ways that do not sacrifice complexity.
  5. Create new formats: Develop ways of sharing information that balance accessibility with depth and nuance.
  6. Pause and reflect: What might be lost in the condensing? Are you truly seeking efficiency, or avoiding the discomfort of engaging with complex, potentially challenging ideas? Are you willing to advocate for systemic changes that truly value deep learning and diverse knowledge sources?
  7. Challenge the demand: When asked for summaries, push back (respectfully) and explain why certain information resists easy summarization.
  8. Foster critical engagement: Encourage professionals to develop skills in quickly assessing and engaging with complex information, rather than providing pre-digested summaries.
  9. Educate funders and decision-makers: Help those in power understand the value of engaging with complexity and diverse knowledge forms.
  10. Rethink the economy of time allocation: Advocate for systemic changes that value time spent on deep learning and reflection as core to effective practice and leadership.

Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024

Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub Recommendations to support knowledge translation of evidence to identify and reach zero-dose children

Recommendations to support knowledge translation of evidence to identify and reach zero-dose children

Global health

This article is excerpted from the Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub publication “Knowledge Translation for Zero-Dose Immunization Research”.

In its role as the Learning Innovation Unit (LIU) lead, The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) conceptualized a baseline strategy for knowledge translation (KT).

TGLF developed the following recommendations to support the Country Learning Hubs’ (CLH) KT work. 

The recommendations are intended to improve the use of evidence generated by research, ensuring it effectively informs practices, policies, and interventions targeting vaccine equity.

Each recommendation is accompanied by a rationale and example.

Together, these recommendations aim to build a robust and efficient approach to KT that maximizes the impact of research findings on identifying and reaching ZD and UI children, ultimately contributing to improved immunization equity. This toolkit provides researchers with a list of steps for planning for KT with guiding

Table 1. KT Recommendations from TGLF

RecommendationExample
Perform a rapid capacity audit for KT to inform strategies. Diagnose organizational capacity for KT and builds on available infrastructure and expertise, while tailoring strategies to address limitations.Rapid capacity audit questions include: (1) what percent of resources are committed to KT?, (2) what competencies are needed for KT?, and (3) what networks are needed for KT?
Integrate KT planning from the research inception. Get buy-in from stakeholders, and capitalize on emerging insights. This will also allow sufficient time for capacity strengthening, prevent lags between results and translation, and create efficiencies.Establish KT goals at the beginning of the project, and consider the KT goals while designing evaluation frameworks and stakeholder engagement plans.
Engage intended stakeholders/audiences throughout the evidence generation process. Drive relevance, applicability, and shared ownership of emerging findings.Include sub-national practitioners on advisory committees, and engage stakeholders and communities in developing research questions.
Implement co-creation and participatory processes. Foster a culture that values active listening; encourages engagement with diverse viewpoints; and supports questioning, feedback, and experimentation. This approach underpins the development of a shared vision for collective progress and innovation.Involve a diverse group of stakeholders. Explore rapid feedback mechanisms. Establish platforms or forums for peer-to-peer exchange, where individuals can share their success stories and challenges.
Tailor methods and communications materials to the audience(s). Contribute to the effectiveness and impact of KT efforts.Identify audience(s) and their preferred mode(s) of communication and needs (i.e., busy policymakers may prefer short, non-technical policy briefs).
Leverage informal networks and create continuous learning opportunities to translate evidence. Tap into peer learning and try new ideas; facilitate cost-effective diffusion that enables adaptation.Identify influencers. Support sharing through professional networks and learning collaboratives.
Capture user feedback systematically on value and use. Demonstrate the value and use of the translated knowledge.Distribute short usage surveys when research outputs are accessed (post-webinar/event surveys, follow-up email/surveys after sharing resources).
Monitor changes in policies and practices beyond dissemination metrics.Facilitate evidence uptake and measurable improvements from application.Establish key indicators on changes adopted across networks based on research findings.
Share experiences. Encourage learning from real-world examples of how evidence-based practices have been adapted and implemented. This can inform efforts to tailor interventions to unique settings, fostering innovation and problem-solving.Develop and disseminate case studies that highlight the pathway from learning to action, facilitating peer-to-peer learning and accelerating the adoption of effective practices.

See also: Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub’s innovative model for inter-country peer learning and knowledge translation

Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024

Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub peer exchange for knowledge translation

Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub’s innovative model for inter-country peer learning and knowledge translation

Global health

This article is excerpted from the Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub publication “Knowledge Translation for Zero-Dose Immunization Research”.

The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) hosted the first ZDLH Inter-Country Peer Learning Exchange session (ZDLH-X), in May 2023 with a focus on Bangladesh and Mali.

The second online peer learning exchange, ZDLH-X2, in September 2023 focused on Nigeria and Uganda.

The ZDLH-X events were the centerpiece of a mini learning program that includes three general steps.

  • First, providers completed a questionnaire, provided by TGLF, on local ZD challenges, practices, and priorities.
  • Second, there was a series of online events to share and curate ZD practices. Finally, there were follow-up events online for reflection on learning, and participants completed post-event questionnaires.

Through this process, TGLF identified stories to be featured in a January 2024 ZDLH webinar event. The stories reveal how practitioners in Bangladesh, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda are developing local solutions to increase equity in immunization.

The peer learning events provide a framework for addressing the complex problem-solving required to address the ZD challenge.

The ZDLH-X approach uses multidisciplinary participation, narrative-based mental model building, peer inspiration, reflective sessions, and collaborative activities to address multidimensional challenges like reaching ZD children.

Watch the complete Gavi Zero-Dose Learning Hub Webinar: Equity in Action: Local Strategies for Reaching Zero-Dose Children and Communities. Here is an excerpt, focused on the ZDLH-X learning model and its relevance for knowledge translation.

Table 5. ZDLH-X Peer Exchange as a KT Model

Driver for complex problem-solvingHow ZDLH-X provides a model
Learning from each otherThe events connected over 3,000 practitioners working on ZD issues globally, enabling peer exchange of insights from across contexts. This diversity of knowledge and perspectives mirrors the need identified by research to assimilate inputs from different domains when solving complex problems.
Utilizing mental models (reflective thinking)Through presentations, participants shared local strategies for reaching communities with ZD children. These stories and visuals helped others envision new ways to make a difference, showcasing the power of learning from peers to expand the problem-solving toolkit.
Enabling metacognition (thinking about thinking)Q&A sessions encouraged participants to think critically about their current methods and attitudes. These reflective conversations are crucial for understanding and improving thought processes, a key element in tackling complex issues.
Managing affective factors (motivation)Peer testimonials provided motivation through relatable stories of overcoming barriers, such as vaccine hesitancy or gender-related barriers. Psychology research links such motivation and emotional regulation to complex problem-solving success.
Supporting collaborationThe event facilitated group discussions, allowing for a collective examination of challenges specific to different communities. Research shows that collaborative efforts lead to better outcomes in solving complex problems, thanks to a shared understanding among team members.

Prior TGLF research on immunization learning culture revealed continuous learning as the weakest dimension, characterized by few opportunities, low risk tolerance, limited incentives, and a focus on tasks over capacity strengthening.

By incorporating evidence-based strategies to strengthen continuous learning, the ZDLH-X events were designed to provide the missing elements through blended peer, social, remote, and networked learning.

Value Creation Framework

A value creation framework measured the ZDLH-X events’ impact across five areas: professional change, social connections, practice improvement, influence, and mindset shifts.

Value creation questions provide a method to assess value through both quantitative and qualitative responses.

These evidence-based inquiries, made optional to encourage participation, can provide deeper understanding of how resources or events facilitate knowledge application, ensuring more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of KT activities.

Respondents rated agreement with statements in each area.

Results were benchmarked against a 10,000-participant cohort.

Across all five areas assessed, ZDLH-X participants reported substantially higher value creation versus the 10,000-respondent benchmark, demonstrating the effectiveness of the peer learning approach.

Sample value creation questions
Participation changed me as a professional (change in skills, attitudes, identity, self-confidence, feelings, etc.).
Participation helped my professional practice (get new ideas, insights, materials, procedures, etc.)
Participation made me see my world differently (change in perspective, new understandings of the situation, redefine success, etc.)

Relating Learning to Performance

Previous large-scale TGLF research (n=6,185) demonstrated significant predictive relationships between strengthening immunization learning culture and enhancing knowledge and mission performance.

These causal links contextualize ZDLH-X outcomes within a broader performance framework.

When asked about applying learnings, 99 percent of ZDLH-X respondents expressed intent to use new ZD strategies.

Post-event feedback included examples of adaptations based on ideas gained, illustrating tangible practice changes.

This evidence indicates that structured, blended peer learning can reliably extract practical insights on local ZD solutions from frontline staff and spur knowledge translation.

Quantitatively and qualitatively, the methodology generated value for participants while enabling continuous learning.

Coupled with prior research linking learning culture to performance, it is reasonable to hypothesize that such methods may positively influence coverage outcomes.

Additional research should replicate these findings across contexts and connect observed practice changes to immunization results.

The ZDLH-X model leverages peer exchange to sustainably strengthen continuous learning and identify how to better reach ZD children.

Initial findings suggest this approach could complement traditional learning agendas to build immunization system resilience.

Wider application and validation is warranted based on the events’ promising outcomes.

Practitioners gained the knowledge of relevant solutions while advancing the learning culture needed to continuously adapt and perform in our complex world.

ZDLH-X Recommendations to Support Engagement Conducive to Effective KT

Table 6. ZDLH-X Recommendations to Support Engagement Conducive to Effective KT

Virtual Peer Exchange Model RecommendationsImplementation Guidance and Questions
Help ZD practitioners relate their own experiences to what is shared.Ask: “When you listen to your colleague, how different is this from the ZD challenge you face? Tell us about this challenge.”
Explain the role of global and national-level experts as a guide on the side rather than sage on the stage.Remind them to listen attentively to each person sharing their experience: “Examine this experience in light of your global expertise. Identify questions for follow-up to clarify the story. Share short, specific feedback first, and then generalize to bring in the big picture. Be concise and get to the point. The longer you speak, the less we will learn from ZD practitioners.”
Emphasize that participant experience is valued and recognized as legitimate.Share that there will be no slide presentations. Instead, participants are invited to share stories and respond to stories shared. National/ global staff are invited to listen, learn, and contribute as a guide on the side.
Provide explicit guidance to help participants structure their thinking to act as scaffolding for knowledge translation.Tell participants, “Prepare to listen and share your feedback. As you listen to fellow ZD practitioners, reflect on your own experience. What experience do you want to share and why? How do you think this experience will be helpful to colleagues working on ZD? Be concise.”
Share rules of engagement to ensure all participants are included and feel recognized.Reminder: if a person from one country or region has spoken, the next person should be from a different country or region. When possible, if a man has spoken, the next person should be a woman. Tell participants, “We will be very strict about timing. Remember that you can also share your thoughts by writing in the comments. Respect diversity and differences, and one another as peers.”
Acknowledge connectivity challenge in a frontline event to encourage participation.Remember that practitioners from remote areas may have connectivity issues, despite interest and motivation. Consider organizing “viewing parties” where staff gather to watch and listen from a location with reliable internet.
Share supportive messaging to help build engagement that increases motivation to translate knowledge into practice.Tell participants, “We are here to listen and learn from you. Trust your experience. Focus on what you know because you are there every day. Do not forget to introduce yourself: who you are and where you work. Be concise. You will be asked questions by the facilitation team, by guides on the side, and by attendees. It is okay if you do not have all the answers. Listen to the experiences of your peers, as you will be asked questions about them.”
Emphasize the value proposition of the opportunity to translate knowledge into practice.Tell participants, “Learn from the experiences of other immunization professionals on how they have successfully identified and reached ZD and UI communities; gain understanding about the specific tools and interventions that were effective in other contexts and be able to adapt them to your context. Share your own experience, including success stories, lessons learned and challenges; reflect on your own ZD practices and identify areas for improvement.”
Share criteria to help  participants share  relevant experience.Advise participants, “Be as precise and concrete as possible. Describe what you did and why, step by step. How do you know it worked? What did you do that is new or different? What facilitated and complicated this intervention? How does what you did connect to broader health system components (e.g., HRH, data/monitoring, planning, financing, supply chain/logistics)? For challenges that are relevant to others: In what specific ways does your intervention impact a ZD problem? What other challenges relate to this one (e.g., gender, conflict, urban/rural, demand, finance)? What about your intervention do you think is common or relevant to others— in your country or in another country?”
Provide guiding questions to help practitioners share their ZD experience.Ask: “What is the ZD situation where you work? How do you know? What are you doing about it, why, and how? How is it different from what you did before? How has it turned out so far? How do you know what you are doing is successful?”
Consider the determinants of KT for individuals.When trying to translate knowledge into practice: Give me enough time to work on knowledge translation. Ensure progress is monitored by my supervisor. Make available someone to coach or mentor me. Facilitate access to fellow practitioners for guidance and support. Encourage co-workers to support. Make job aids available for guidance. Periodically remind of need for change in practice.
Share relevant content with platforms, with an invitation to disseminate and report back on KT.Follow up with each platform to analyze KT effectiveness and lessons learned.

Learn more: Access the ZDLH-X recordings, synthesis reports, a list of frequently asked questions,  and conceptual framework.

Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024