Global Health Visions Quarterly Newsletter - December 2023
Global Health Visions
Healthy People. Healthy Planet. https://linktr.ee/globalhealthvisions
IN THIS ISSUE
An Update from GHV's New Director of Strategy, Learning and Innovation
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY, LEARNING, AND INNOVATION
I'm excited to be joining GHV as Director of Strategy, Learning, and Innovation. Sounds like a mouthful, right? My role encompasses the following:
I am especially passionate about decolonizing global health and promoting equitable power and resource distribution to the Global South. GHV's dedication to these principles aligns with my values, and I am excited to work alongside the exceptional team here to enhance our partnerships and overall capabilities.
Prior to GHV, I spent five years as a Senior Advisor at USAID - Center for Innovation and Impact (CII) within the Global Health Bureau. At USAID, I worked to improve access to leading-edge global health innovations through strategic planning, market shaping, innovative financing, private sector engagement, digital health, and human-centered design. As the Director of Programs for the USAID/State Department COVID-19 Task Force, I managed the distribution of $1.8 billion in congressional funds for the global pandemic response. My tenure with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. in Malawi and Myanmar involved expediting the introduction of vaccines, improving HIV testing accessibility, refining market intelligence for MDR-TB diagnostics, enhancing pediatric HIV referral pathways, and expanding hepatitis C testing and treatment options. Having also worked at several private sector health care organizations and consulting firms prior to that, I am excited to bring my business and global health expertise to GHV.
Shifting the Balance: Trust-Based Philanthropy and the Power of Evaluation
BY Jessie Clyde
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Trust-based philanthropy is all the rage these days! It was certainly among “the words of the day” on many United Nations General Assembly (#UNGA) panels, and many funders are trying hard to demonstrate how they are implementing principles of trust-based philanthropy in their work. However, while this claim is usually well-intended, some funders use the term without truly committing to evaluating their approaches and shifting power. The Trust-based Philanthropy Project, with which I have collaborated for many years, has recently recognized this tension, and provided resources (linked below) to support funders committed to overcoming this hurdle.
While there are many important values and practices in trust-based philanthropy, in my almost two decades as an intermediary grant maker, I found that for many donors, trust-based evaluation is the major barrier. While many donors are now giving well-deserved credit to grantee partners for driving social change and instead embracing their roles in convening, amplifying, and supporting, they have been slower to shift evaluation approaches and ownership. What would it look like for donors to let go of control of what, when and how data is reported? In my experience, when grantee partners define their own learning and evaluation frameworks, based on what success looks like for them, both grantee partners and donors benefit from more meaningful insights. When donors lift and support grantees ‘own evaluation methods and metrics, the dialogue shifts to effectively discerning what is working and where is progress stalled – and how can the donor help. (In a previous role, my team dropped almost all reporting requirements and found ourselves flooded with more information on programming and impact.)
Moreover, trust-based evaluation is reciprocal and encourages mutual accountability. It prompts donors to assess how their funding approach or nonfinancial assistance contributes to grantees' enduring objectives. What makes support from X donor impactful in Y way? To understand this, donors must listen to what grantees are telling them about their support and respond to it. Queries, whether direct or anonymous, such as “Was my visit to you helpful? Did our conversation about your new strategic plan help you think out of the box? If not, what needs to change?” Donors sharing their own challenges, like refining their Theory of Action or measuring long-term change, further this mutual learning process. Trust-based evaluation embraces the mindset that we all have something to teach one another, and mandated reporting may not be the way to get there; in fact, it can undermine trust.
In my newer role as a consultant, I have enjoyed working with diverse organizations and donors to address some of the concerns they have about integrating a trust-based evaluation model. There is no perfect roadmap, but even incremental changes can signify a genuine commitment to shifting power and strengthen trust. It’s time. As my hero Vu Le said a few years ago, “Trust-based philanthropy needs to be the default model in our sector. People’s lives and well-being depend on it.”
Additional Resources:
Toward a Trust-Based Framework for Learning and Evaluation – Trust-Based Philanthropy (trustbasedphilanthropy.org)
GHV in Action: Conference Readouts
International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Conference Readout
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
GHV attended the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 33rd Triennial Congress in Bali, Indonesia, in June. The theme was “together again: from evidence to reality.” The Congress was comprised of a diverse program of collaborative, innovative, and interactive sessions led by global health, midwifery, and maternal health advocates, scholars, and leaders focused on advocating for investment in midwifery and supporting midwives globally. Plenaries focused on realizing the demands of midwives, diversity, and inclusion across the profession, supporting midwives in navigating humanitarian crises and climate change, and the next 100 years of ICM, among many other important matters. GHV is proud to continue our partnership with ICM as we work to support the development of its new strategic plan and 2023 annual report.
United Nations General Assembly Week (UNGA) Polio Event Readout
CONSULTANT
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Polio Advocacy and Communications team partnered with Global Community Program to source and train over 24 individuals affected by polio worldwide to share their stories. This initiative culminated with an event during #UNGA Week titled “Don’t Stop Now: Stories from the Final Push to End Polio.” This featured three storytellers: Safia I. brahim, Wasif Mahmood, and Oyewale Tomori – a polio survivor, UNICEF health worker, and past virologist, respectively. In a stripped-down production, they spoke to an audience of more than 100 people, including high-level Global Polio Eradication Initiative (#GPEI) partners, polio champions, and decision-makers in the global health space.
Throughout, audience members’ emotional response was evident as Safia shared her story of loss and the search for “normalcy.” Wasif shared the fear he sometimes felt participating in door-to-door campaigns in secluded areas and his unwavering commitment to children's health in his community. Oyewale brought humor and earnestness as he recounted his days as a virologist in Nigeria, detailing how the “person behind the specimen” became a reality for him. Their genuine and passionate testimonies emphasized the fundamental reasons for their work, resonating deeply with a diverse UNGA audience.
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Grand Challenges Annual Meeting (GCAM) Readout
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
In support of the Women in Leadership team at BMGF, I attended the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting (GCAM) in Dakar, Senegal, from October 8 to 11.
Spotlighting the theme “Science Saves Lives,” GCAM brought together approximately 1,500 scientists, researchers, and practitioners to explore a vast array of topics such as Health Technology Research and Access, Malaria Eradication, Climate Adaptation, and Artificial Intelligence. Over the course of four days, the meeting featured scientific tracks, plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, poster sessions, and side meetings. These forums were designed to foster collaborative efforts, disseminate knowledge on scientific innovations, and deliberate on creating a more inclusive and equitable global health R&D ecosystem.
Furthering these aims, the Foundation's Gender Equality division's Women in Leadership (WIL) team orchestrated a Women Leaders in Science Luncheon at GCAM. This gathering brought together approximately 70 leaders, both men and women, from various institutions including Institut Pasteur de Dakar , SpeakUp Africa, USAID , GCI BIRAC, KEMRI, APHRC, Aga Khan University , Global Health Labs, Pathfinder International , Civil Society for Malaria Elimination, and more.
The luncheon sought to highlight the gender disparity of women in science leadership and raise awareness about the issue and role of caregiving as a determinant of women’s participation and advancement in the workplace. Anita Zaidi (President, Gender Equality Division) and Iris Mwanza (Deputy Director of WIL) underscored the power of caregiving responsibilities on women’s ability to thrive and rise in the workplace. An interactive personal reflection activity, inspired by the “Privilege Walk” exercise, prompted attendees to reflect on and share how caregiving intersected with their career trajectories and ambitions.
The World Economic Forum estimates that global gender parity in the labor force stands at 62.9% and has declined since 2020 in part due to the disproportionate care burden on women during the pandemic. The International Labor Organization estimates that 16.4 billion hours are spent on unpaid care work every day, which is equivalent to 2 billion people working 8 hours per day with no remuneration.
The luncheon took place shortly after the announcement of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences to Harvard economist Claudia Goldin for “having advanced our understanding of women’s labor market outcomes.” Dr Goldin’s seminal research demonstrates the impact of women’s responsibilities for home and family on gender differences in earnings and employment rates over time.
Grand Challenges extends beyond its annual meeting to facilitate partnerships and announce funding and grant opportunities aligned with various themes. The Gender Equality Division was thrilled to leverage this platform to launch its first ever request for proposals (RFP) pertaining to Care: Gender Equality Division Grand Challenge.
Grand Challenges Annual Meeting (GCAM) Readout
BY Nina D.
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Artificial intelligence (AI) was a prominent theme at GCAM, with various scientific tracks, ignite talks, and roundtables on equitable and responsible use of AI in Africa. Building on the success of the recent AI Grand Challenges grants, the Foundation announced an additional $30 million in funding over the next 5 years to support this area.
In the weeks prior, the Global Health, Global Growth Office Policy Advocacy communications (GH/GGO PAC) team, members of the AI Task Force, and a group of donors began drafting a framework for collaboration on AI in Africa. To test this framework with innovators on the continent, PAC hosted two donor meetings on the sidelines of GCAM. The first of these meetings was an exclusive roundtable discussion, providing an opportunity for innovators from Africa to share the challenges of developing and scaling AI applications for health and development sectors. This session also allowed donors to outline their priority areas. Both grantees and donors were appreciative of the time and found the exchange insightful in moving their work forward.
The second donor-exclusive roundtable focused on discussing forthcoming steps for enhanced cooperation between donors and the private sector, particularly regarding the UK AI Safety Summit. There was considerable excitement about continuing to build on the collaboration over the coming months.
Overall, it was an impressive cross-team effort between Global Health, Global Growth Office, and Global Policy and Advocacy, donors, and African practitioners – and with a thrilling sense of momentum generated by bringing these groups together!
Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders Readout
BY Nejla Liias
FOUNDER AND CEO
As the Founder and CEO of GHV, I am filled with gratitude and pride to have represented our organization at this year's Reykjavík Global Forum. This prestigious event, co-hosted with the Government of Iceland and the Parliament of Iceland in partnership with Women Political Leaders (WPL) , brought together 500 incredible leaders from all over the world.
The forum’s focus on the “Four E’s” – Equal Pay, Equal Representation, Equal Parental Leave, and Ending Gender-Based Violence – aligns closely with our core mission at GHV. These pillars are essential in our endeavors to ensure women lead full and healthy lives. The diversity of the group, spanning different sectors, regions, and perspectives, introduced so many unique voices to the conversations. From private to public sectors, non-profits, and representatives from both the Global North and South, the forum was a melting pot of unique experiences and insights.
There was a true authenticity to all the individuals who were there, and a genuine interest in meeting others, discussing shared interests, and finding ways of learning, collaborating, or helping each other. Culminating our experience under the Icelandic sky at the Sky Lagoon was nothing short of magical. It was a moment of unity and empowerment, enveloped by the spirit of the many women who have paved the way for us.
Reflecting on the enlightening discussions and insights gained, we at GHV are more committed than ever to integrating these principles into our advocacy and policy work. The forum has reinforced our belief that collaboration and unity are essential for making impactful strides. We are reminded of the strength that lies in collective action and shared goals. As we continue our efforts, GHV is dedicated to being a catalyst for change, fostering an environment where women's rights and equality are not just ideals but realities.
Where in the World is GHV?
Do you want to get to know GHV and our team better and learn about all that we have to offer? Do you need support to create a strategy for the new year, plan a meeting, draft a report, or undertake another exciting opportunity? Are summer and fall looking extremely busy? If so, please reach out to savannah.russo@ghvisions.com.