The Geneva Learning Foundation

Health workers share frontline malaria experiences at Teach to Reach preview ahead of December special event

On December 5, 2024, health workers from across Africa gathered for a special preview session focused on malaria as part of Teach to Reach 11, setting the stage for a major event on December 10 focused on uniting health workers to end malaria. The session, hosted by the Geneva Learning Foundation in partnership with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, featured powerful firsthand accounts from health workers dealing with malaria in their communities.

The preview session highlighted how climate change and severe weather events are intensifying malaria challenges in many regions. Maman Godiya, a UNICEF social behavioral change consultant in Sokoto, Nigeria, described a recent malaria outbreak following heavy rainfall and flooding. She noted that while free drugs and mosquito nets were distributed, insecurity and banditry prevented reaching some affected communities, leading to deaths from cerebral malaria.

Margaret Nabagala Ntambazi, a public health specialist from Masaka City, Uganda, shared a recent case of a five-year-old child who required intensive care for severe malaria. In response, her team organized community dialogues about malaria prevention, particularly focusing on environmental factors like tall grass and maize cultivation that provide mosquito breeding grounds. She emphasized the need for proper use of insecticide-treated nets, noting that some community members were using them for other purposes like coffee drying or fishing.

Joseph Ngougi, a community health officer from Muranga County, Kenya, described how malaria recently affected his wife so severely she required injectable treatment instead of oral medication. His experience highlighted that anyone can be affected by malaria, regardless of their health worker status or knowledge.

Kingston Kufi Nyerere from Ghana's Mono East region shared a particularly poignant story about his pregnant sister who couldn't access Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp), leading to malaria infection and subsequent miscarriage. He emphasized the critical importance of both preventive treatment and insecticide-treated nets for pregnant women.

The session concluded with Beri Ani Gariba, malaria monitoring and evaluation officer for Cameroon's Northwest region, describing his own recent bout with severe malaria that occurred despite his expertise and access to healthcare facilities.

Looking ahead, the December 10 special event will explore deeper questions about access to malaria medicines and tests, prevention strategies for pregnant women, community mobilization successes, and the impact of weather changes on malaria transmission. The event builds on contributions from health workers across multiple countries including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The preview session demonstrated the Teach to Reach platform's ability to facilitate direct sharing of experiences among health workers, with over 15,000 health professionals registered for the broader event. Participants can access a full participant list and connect with colleagues working on similar challenges.

Key themes emerging from the session included:

- The intersection of climate change and malaria transmission

- Challenges in reaching insecure areas

- The importance of community education and proper use of preventive tools

- The need for reliable access to treatments and preventive medicines

- The particular vulnerability of pregnant women and children

- The value of learning from peers' experiences and solutions

The December 10 special event will continue these discussions, bringing together frontline health workers with national program managers and global partners to address these critical challenges in malaria control and elimination.

#Global survey gathers health worker insights on climate change impacts

Teach to Reach’s health leaders met today to share feedback and insights to strengthen are contributing the climate-health risks and barriers survey initiative developed by The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) with Grand Challenges Canada (GCC).

Teach to Reach, a peer learning platform that connects over 20,000 health professionals from 70 countries, provided the initial testing ground for the survey. The platform brings together frontline health workers, district managers, and national planners to share experiences and solutions across borders, with 80% of participants working at district and facility levels.

## Survey pilots shape future global climate and health funding

The Geneva Learning Foundation hosted a special consultation on January 8, 2025, to debrief findings from a pilot survey that will inform future funding for climate-driven health crises. The survey aims to gather frontline perspectives to guide evidence-based investment prioritization in climate-sensitive health risks and health system barriers.

The pilot phase collected 306 responses from health leaders participating in Teach to Reach 11, a global peer learning platform that connects health professionals working at all levels of health systems across borders.

## Global launch and reach

Dr. Joanna Sanchez, Climate and Health Lead at GCC, announced the full survey will launch on January 15, 2025, in multiple languages. The survey will be distributed through major global networks including WHO, multilateral organizations, ministries of health, and health professional associations.

“We are excited to hear what those at the front lines of this challenge are thinking, what the perceptions are, what the ideas are,” said Dr. Sanchez. “This will inform research, policy, funding, and where we can work together globally on solutions.”

## Survey focus and structure

The survey explores three key areas:

- Observable climate changes in communities

- Health impacts of these changes

- Barriers to protecting community health

The survey has been carefully designed to be accessible to respondents across different education levels while maintaining scientific rigor. Questions focus on recent experiences within the past two years to ensure reliable recall, with opportunities to consider future challenges over the next decade.

## Early insights from pilot phase

Survey statistician John Wagai gave a brief presentatino of preliminary analysis showing respondent diversity and strong African participation. The African region is the most-impacted region with the least research and evidence available.

## Stakeholder feedback shapes improvements

Health leaders provided valuable input for enhancing the survey’s effectiveness:

Lilian Mutua, head of health promotion for Nairobi City County, Kenya, emphasized the interconnected nature of impacts: “When we look at climate change...it was not only about health. We had destruction of environments, inaccessibility to health services...We also had issues of mental health.”

Sabatu Elizabeth Danladi, founder of African Hope for Community Progress Initiative in Nigeria, highlighted food security concerns: “Most farmers are facing challenges, difficulty to feed because farmlands are washed away by flood...This poses a threat to nutrition of children and pregnant women.”

## Next steps and timeline

The survey will remain open for six weeks after its January launch. Results will help Grand Challenges Canada and partners create new funding opportunities for local solutions to climate-driven health challenges.

The findings will undergo expert analysis in spring 2025, with results expected to be presented at Climate Week or the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025. This will be followed by the launch of a new grand challenge funding call focused on identified priorities.

## Commitment to community engagement

The Geneva Learning Foundation emphasized its commitment to sharing findings back with participants. As the Foundation’s Executive Director, Reda Sadki, explained: “If we ask you for information...our commitment is to give back and to make sure you are closely involved in the process that is ultimately about you and the communities that you serve.”

This initiative represents a significant step in connecting global funding decisions with ground-level realities faced by health workers as they confront climate change impacts on community health. By engaging frontline perspectives, the survey aims to ensure future investments address the most pressing needs of affected communities.

New podcast: Knowing-in-action: Bridging the theory-practice divide in global health

This is the 14 December 2024 article from Reda Sadki.

🎧 In the topography of global health, theory and practice often inhabit separate worlds. Our new AI-generated Deep Dive podcast examines Donald Schön's seminal framework on this divide - and why it matters for health systems transformation.

This AI-generated podcast is a discussion of Reda Sadki's article: https://redasadki.me/2024/12/14/knowing-in-action-bridging-the-theory-practice-divide-in-global-health/

📚 This experimental audio format aims to translate complex theoretical insights into accessible dialogue, exploring:

- The 'high ground vs. swamp' metaphor in contemporary health challenges

- How COVID-19 exposed fundamental gaps between research and practice

- Why traditional knowledge transfer models fall short

- The emerging role of peer learning networks in bridging divides

🔍 This podcast format demonstrates how AI-enabled content can:

- Make theoretical frameworks accessible to practitioners

- Bridge formal and experiential knowledge

- Scale education efforts across geographic and institutional boundaries

- Enable new forms of engagement with critical health systems concepts

#GlobalHealth #HealthEducation #KnowledgeTransfer #AIforHealth

New podcast: Knowing-in-action: Bridging the theory-practice divide in global health

This is the 14 December 2024 article from Reda Sadki.

# Health Leaders Report Valuable Exchanges in Teach to Reach Networking Session

## Structured Approach to Peer Learning

The final session of Teach to Reach 11 on December 5, 2024, demonstrated the power of structured networking to facilitate meaningful knowledge exchange between health professionals. Participants engaged in focused small-group conversations.

## Benefits of Organizational Engagement

The session highlighted four key benefits for participating organizations:

- Recognition of real-world expertise through peer validation

- Reciprocal learning opportunities regardless of organization size

- Integration into a global platform and community

- Skills development through active learning for staff and volunteers

## Cross-Border Knowledge Exchange

Health leaders reported valuable cross-border exchanges in their breakout groups. A participant from India described productive discussions with colleagues from Ghana and Nigeria, leading to plans for continued collaboration: “We decided to connect with emails and personally in the group and then one-to-one interaction... If somebody is doing work on immunization in one part of the world, somebody else is also doing the same thing, so they can connect and discuss issues, barriers, and breakthroughs.”

## Solutions Through Connection

Participants emphasized how networking enabled practical problem-solving. “If you have a particular issue that is difficult for you to solve, having the opportunity to discuss with one person, maybe he has strategies he adopted in his environment that can be suitable for you,” explained Usman Mohammed Tukor from Nigeria. He highlighted how these connections could strengthen responses to challenges like climate change impacts on health.

## Local Innovation Sharing

The discussions surfaced innovative local approaches. Sadatu Kabir from Bauchi State, Nigeria, shared their community engagement structure: “We have a committee at the community level... and a community resource group called Mama to Mama that can go house to house to assess problems and needs.” This included creative solutions like an emergency transport system to improve healthcare access.

## Progressive Engagement

The session’s structure—moving from brief introductions to increasingly longer discussions—allowed relationships to develop naturally. As Charlotte Mbuh from the facilitation team noted, “Even when starting with just introductions, participants quickly moved into deeper discussions about their work.”

## Platform for Continued Connection

Beyond the live sessions, Teach to Reach introduced a new platform feature allowing participants to create profiles and maintain connections with over 15,000 health workers. This infrastructure supports ongoing peer learning and collaboration between live events.

## Looking Ahead

The networking session concluded Teach to Reach 11’s main event, but participants were encouraged to maintain their connections through:

- Upcoming special sessions, including a December 13 event with the Lancet Countdown

- The Reach Leaders and Partners Network

- The platform’s networking features

- Future Teach to Reach events, with the 12th edition planned for March 2025

The success of this structured networking approach demonstrates how intentional connection-building between health professionals can catalyze knowledge sharing and practical innovation to address global health challenges.

# Before launching a survey on climate-health barriers and risks, Grand Challenges Canada listened and learned at Teach to Reach 11

## New Partnership to Amplify Frontline Voices

Grand Challenges Canada announced a pioneering partnership at Teach to Reach 11 on December 5, 2024, launching a global initiative to capture frontline health workers’ experiences of climate change impacts. The organization will begin with a pilot survey among Teach to Reach participants, informing a major new climate and health funding program planned for 2026.

“We want to take the questions to those best placed to identify the problems – the people at the frontlines of this climate crisis,” explained Joanna Sanchez, an epidemiologist representing Grand Challenges Canada. The initiative aims to identify critical barriers preventing effective responses to climate-related health challenges in low and middle-income countries.

## Frontline Testimonies of Climate Impact

Health workers shared powerful accounts from their communities. In the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, Dr. Mahesh Bhatt described a “vicious cycle” where climate change is disrupting social determinants of health. “The frequency and severity of extreme weather events, flash floods, forest fires, disasters and new diseases like malaria and dengue have increased in the last two decades,” he reported, emphasizing that local communities with minimal carbon footprints are bearing the heaviest burden.

Margaret Nabagala from Uganda detailed recent devastating impacts: “We lost 82 lives in Eastern Uganda due to soil erosion and flooding. Homesteads were flooded and covered with soil.” She outlined government efforts to relocate affected communities and strengthen early warning systems.

## Barriers to Effective Response

Health workers identified specific obstacles hampering their efforts. Alima Usman from Nigeria described challenges during flood response: “Because the water was so much, we couldn’t get access to electric boats. We had to use local boats available in the community, which slowed rescue efforts.”

Community understanding emerged as another key challenge. Usman Mohammed Tukor noted: “People don’t believe climate change affects their health. There is need for people to know how it is related to their health.” He explained how poor sanitation and drainage create mosquito breeding grounds, increasing malaria risk, particularly among pregnant women.

## Innovative Funding Approach

The new Grand Challenges Canada program, launching in early 2026, will support innovative local solutions to climate-health challenges. “We’re looking for big ideas for big problems,” said Sanchez, emphasizing that funding will be open to organizations from all low and middle-income countries. The program may feature region-specific funding streams based on survey findings.

## Participatory Research Design

The partnership represents a shift in how climate and health funding priorities are determined. “No one is asking us. We are here. We are seeing the challenges, we are experiencing them,” Sanchez quoted from earlier consultations, explaining the choice of a participatory approach.

## Next Steps

The pilot survey with Teach to Reach participants will inform a broader global survey in 2026. Results will guide funding priorities and serve as a public resource for policymakers, researchers, and funders working on climate and health challenges.

The initiative recognizes that while climate change is a global crisis, its health impacts disproportionately affect communities that have contributed least to the problem. Through this partnership, Grand Challenges Canada aims to ensure that solutions are informed by and responsive to frontline experiences.

# Health leaders share practical solutions at Teach to Reach forum

“We would like to strengthen the capacity of community health promoters and align with global efforts in health education,” said Alicia Sheringham from Kenya’s national association for community health workers (ARCHVOG) during the December 5 Leaders and Partners Forum. Her organization, like many others joining Teach to Reach 11, aims to connect local health needs with broader health initiatives.

The forum brought together health workers from community clinics to national programs to share what works in their communities. This continues the peer learning approach that engaged over 21,000 participants in June 2024, with 80% working at district and facility levels.

## Real challenges, real solutions

In Nigeria’s Bauchi State, Ibilola Atureta explained how Glorious Elixir Foundation conducts medical outreach: “We do medical outreaches to some communities here. Teach to Reach has exposed me to community and collaboration we can learn from ourselves.”

Small group discussions revealed common challenges across borders. Bernard Oteno, whose year-old organization works on malaria prevention in Kenya, noted their main barrier: “The main challenge we still have is funding, because it’s just a small organization that has about 50 people, community health workers coming together.”

## Learning from each other

In structured networking sessions, participants shared specific solutions despite technical challenges. One group discussion included experiences from Ghana about staffing issues, vaccine availability challenges in Abuja, and efforts to involve community health workers in decision-making in Kenya.

Dr. Mahesh Bhatt, working in India’s Himalayan region, described the value of these connections: “If somebody is doing some work on immunization in other part of the world, somebody else is also doing the same thing - they can connect with each other and discuss the issues and barriers as well as the breakthroughs.”

## Next steps

The forum preceded sessions focusing on:

- Nigeria’s immunization collaborative

- Malaria prevention and control with RBM Partnership

- Climate change health impacts with Grand Challenges Canada

Organizations interested in participating can learn more through the conference platform. There is no cost for locally-led organizations serving community needs.

The forum demonstrates how connecting health workers across borders helps share practical solutions to common challenges. As Chinwe Enechukwu noted after a networking session: “It was a wonderful room. I would love to go back and continue with the discussion.”

An AI-generated dialogue exploring The Geneva Learning Foundation’s progress in 2024

This experimental AI-generated podcast demonstrates a novel approach to exploring complex learning concepts through structured dialogue. Based on TGLF’s 2024 end-of-year message and supplementary materials, the conversation examines their peer learning model through a combination of concrete examples and theoretical reflection. The dialogue format enables exploration of how knowledge emerges through structured interaction, even in AI-generated content.

Experimental nature and limitations: This content is being shared as an exploration of how AI might contribute to learning and knowledge construction. While based on TGLF’s actual 2024 message, the dialogue includes AI-generated elaborations that may contain inaccuracies. However, these limitations themselves provide interesting insights into how knowledge emerges through interaction, even in artificial contexts.

Pedagogical value and theoretical implications:

1. Structured knowledge construction: The conversational format illustrates how knowledge can emerge through carefully structured dialogue, even when artificially generated. This mirrors TGLF’s own insights about how structure enables rather than constrains learning.

2. Multi-level learning: The dialogue operates on multiple levels:

- Direct information sharing about TGLF’s work

- Modeling of reflective dialogue

- Meta-level exploration of how knowledge emerges through interaction

- Integration of concrete examples with theoretical reflection

1. Network effects in learning: The conversation demonstrates how different types of knowledge (statistical, narrative, theoretical, practical) can be woven together through dialogue to create deeper understanding. This parallels TGLF’s observations about how learning emerges through structured networks of interaction.

We invite listeners to consider:

- How dialogue enables exploration of complex ideas

- The role of structure in enabling knowledge emergence

- The relationship between concrete examples and theoretical understanding

- The potential and limitations of AI in supporting learning processes

This experiment invites reflection not just on the content itself, but on how knowledge and understanding emerge through structured interaction - whether human or artificial. Your insights about how this format affects your understanding will help inform future explorations of AI’s role in learning.

What aspects of the dialogue format enhanced or hindered your understanding? How did the interplay of concrete examples and reflective discussion affect your learning? We welcome your thoughts on these deeper questions about how learning happens through structured interaction.

We will publish a selection of your TGLF stories submitted by 5 January 2025.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to build on this momentum together.

While we know this is a difficult time for many colleagues, particularly those serving communities affected by crisis and conflict, we hope you can find moments of peace and connection.

We deeply appreciate your commitment to learning and leading change.

Together, we are showing that new ways of learning and connecting can strengthen health and hope in communities worldwide.

More than that, we’re demonstrating that when we rethink how learning happens, we can unlock unprecedented possibilities for positive change.

Wishing you renewed energy and inspiration for the journey ahead.

Reda Sadki

The Geneva Learning Foundation

PS You can learn more from experiences shared on our YouTube, Telegram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook channels. Are you following us?