Conference Overview
Now is a critical time to prioritize child and adolescent health. The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening progress made as health systems struggle to rapidly respond to this crisis and children and adolescents are often bearing the brunt of the impact. Increased violence against children, reduced access to routine healthcare, especially sexual and reproductive services, and stunted social development are just a few of the issues exacerbated by this global pandemic.
GHPC 2021 continued the dialogue and action from our July virtual event Lives in the Balance: A COVID-19 Summit for the Health and Well-Being of Women, Children, and Adolescents hosted by CORE Group and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health (PMNCH) which was attended by over 3,000 participants globally. Implementers, UN agencies, academics, donors, private sector, youth, civil society, and community health advocates operating locally and internationally were invited to participate in this engaging, highly interactive, three-day, virtual event.
GHPC21 aimed to:
- STRENGTHEN commitment and technical assistance for child and adolescent health and empower young people to advocate for their rights to health and well-being
- MOBILIZE and strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships and innovation for child and adolescent health research, advocacy, implementation, and financing in the next decade
- SHARE evidence-based research, disaggregated data, and emerging solutions to ensure improved health outcomes for babies, toddlers, children and adolescents
Opening Plenary Session
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Innovative Pitches Judging
Opening Remarks: Saad Uakkas, Liaison Officer to Student Organizations, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations Grace Peters, Programs Associate, Smile Train Chimwemwe Mlombwa, Team Lead, HeR Liberty Malawi
The Pitch Challenge aims to bring together a diverse set of people with various backgrounds and empower them to work together, foster innovative thinking, and find solutions in community health. Two teams will have a chance to win seed funding towards their innovative ideas as well as mentorship from the CORE Group International Community Health Network.
Presenters: Iwatutu Joyce Adewole Program Lead, African Child Development and Support Initiative; Dr. Arti Varamarsi President & CEO, Advancing Synergy; Dr. Victor Pacifique CEO, Devie Health Innovators and previous Pitch Challenge Grand Prize winner; Gogontlejang Phaladi Social Change Activist, Botswana; Caroline Quijada, Abt Associates; Dr. Narottam Pradhan Pitch Finalist – SJY Jeevika PCI; Stuti Chakraborty Pitch Finalist -Habitants; Olarinde Olokuntoye Pitch Finalist – Vinsighte; Ninnah Evitta Pitch Finalist – Save a Life; Brintha Sivajohan Pitch Finalist – BIPOC Women’s Health Network; Irina Sinah Pitch Finalist – SJY Jeevika PCI; Dheeba Sagar Pitch Finalist – Habitants; Sara Jacob Pitch Finalist – Habitants; Akash Shetty, Pitch Finalist – Habitants; Saad UakkasLiaison Officer to Student Organiztions, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations; Grace Peters Programs Associate, Smile Train; Chimwemwe Mlombwa Team Lead, HER Liberty Malawi; Oluwatomisin Kolawole, Pitch Finalist – Vinsighte; Maureen Kerubo Momanyi Health Specialist, Community/Primary Care Systems, UNICEF
Concurrent Sessions
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
1.) Maintaining Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presenters: Agnes Binagwaho Vice Chancellor, University of Global Health Equity; Lisa Hirschhorn Professor of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University; Amy Mayberry Associate Director, Health & Life Sciences, Gates Ventures; Fauzia Akhter Huda Project Coordinator, Maternal and Child Health Division, ICDDRB; Dr. Madeleine Ballard Executive Director, Community Health Impact Coalition; Wycliffe Okoth Omwanda Clinical Excellence Manager, Lwala Community Alliance; Fabien Munyenza Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation for Partners in Health, Partners in Health; Helen Olsen Sr. Research Program Manager, Medic Mobile; Diego Lassala Lopez Vallejo Data Analyst, Bamako, Mali
Lessons for Maintaining Essential Child Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic As countries face the challenge of responding to COVID while also maintaining the provision of essential health services, this panel will discuss the key elements of a successful child health program, along with stories of how countries are maintaining child and adolescent health services in today’s context. Drawing from the study of Exemplars in Under-five Mortality (U5M) Reduction, panelists will discuss key strategies for prioritizing child health, related to areas including multisectoral collaboration, horizonal integration, and context-specific implementation & adaptation. In addition, the panel will discuss the importance of an implementation science approach to translate these strategies from evidence into policy, using five steps that the University of Global Health Equity team has identified as success factors in the Exemplars: Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Adaptation, and Sustainment (EPIAS). Finally, the discussion will incorporate stories of countries who are effectively prioritizing child health services during the pandemic. As such, this presentation will emphasize the importance of a commitment to child and adolescent health research, advocacy, implementation, and financing over the next decade, through sharing success stories of Exemplar countries who have demonstrated this commitment in the past. In addition, discussion of these Exemplar countries will highlight the importance of cross-sectoral partnerships and will emphasize the need for continued collaboration and innovation in today’s COVID context. Finally, drawing from multiple Exemplars topics, this panel will share evidence-based research, data, and emerging solutions that countries are using to ensure that progress on child and adolescent health is not stymied by the pandemic. Through these focus areas and through engaging the attendees during the session, this presentation will serve as a call to action for prioritizing child and adolescent health as we enter a new decade, even in spite of the challenges from COVID.
University of Global Health Equity, Northwestern University, Gates Ventures, ICDDRB
Please find the slide presentation here.
Continuity of Services during COVID-19 The potential of routine data to unlock lessons about what works and doesn’t across countries and during a pandemic must be unleashed. This highly interactive session will focus on what this previously untapped resource can tell us about how to maintain essential services for mothers and children during a pandemic at community level.
Community Health Impact Coalition, Lwala Community Alliance, Partners in Health, Medic Mobile
2.) Advancing Early Childhood Development in The New Decade
Presenters: Tina Belayneh Newborn and Child Health Program Officer and ECD Program Coordinator, Ministry of Health Ethiopia; Meseret Zelalem Director for RMNCAH-N, Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, Ministry of Health; Abraham Tariku National Child Health Program Coordinator and RMNCH Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia; Nesibu Agonafir RMNCH project manager, PATH; Amina Bala Senior Community Health Advisor, Breakthrough ACTION; Gloria Adoyi Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Advisor, Breakthrough ACTION; Usman Usman Capacity and sustainability Advisor, Breakthrough ACTION
Institutionalizing Early Childhood Development Program in to the Health System: The Case of Ethiopia
High-level advocacy on investing in Early Childhood Development (ECD) was conducted to get the policy buy-in from the high-level leadership and forge strong multi-sectoral collaboration. Responsible sectors collaborated to conduct situational analyses that informed a policy brief on the implementation of ECD. Based on the policy recommendations, the existing Early Childhood Care and Education policy was revised to align with the global frameworks. As such, national capacity building on care for child development was conducted; the missing domains of nurturing care were incorporated into the national community health system. A project plan is also developed to initiate a demonstration/learning site in one of the regions. Result: The situational analysis revealed that there is a wide gulf in awareness about ECD among stakeholders. It also uncovered that security, safety, responsive caregiving, and opportunity for early learning were missing domains from the national maternal and child health strategic plan, guidelines, or job aids. We have also learned that there is a huge interest in ECD among various stakeholders and huge potential to implement ECD. Alongside, we have succeeded in making ECD a priority agenda for the Ministries. We also learned the importance of testing and demonstrating ECD in pilot centers.
Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
Experience Using WhatsApp to Train Ward Development Committees to Promote Breastfeeding Practice The use of virtual platforms have become necessary in promoting maternal and child health due to COVID-19. Lack of information and knowledge on breastfeeding and other health behaviours can affect child health, therefore it is necessary to mobilize and strengthen engagement with community stakeholders to share evidence-based strategies for improved child health outcomes.
Breakthrough Action
3.) Innovative Interventions to Promote and Improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Presenters: Erin Pfeiffer Senior Technical Advisor in Health and Nutrition, Independent Consultant; Tom Davis Partnership Leader for Health & Nutrition, World Vision International; Abaydar Workie Interpersonal Psychotherapy Specialist, World Vision Ethiopia, Svetlana Karuskina-Drivdale Senior Regional Early Childhood Development Specialist, PATH; Anita Shankar Senior Director, Global Trauma Project; Darren Collins Director, Project HAND UP; Ann Wahinya Program Manager, Global Trauma Project; Ephrem Bekele Program Manager, Erk Mead
Exploring the Impact of Maternal Mental Health on Child Health and Wellbeing These findings highlight that addressing caregiver depression is an important component of the WHO Nurturing Care Framework strategy for increasing adoption of behaviors that affect early childhood wellbeing. Showcasing these three research studies adds validity to the growing evidence base about the value of integrating mental health into traditional health, nutrition, and early childhood development programs. The findings have the potential to promote adaptive management among government ministries and the broader international non-governmental organization community by providing a case for inclusion of low cost mental health interventions with the involvement of non-specialized or community health providers into global health and education efforts. The panelists and participants will explore what can and cannot be achieved when working through government structures; scale and sustainability vs quality; how to leverage good results from promising NGO-supported maternal mental health model programs; and addressing and overcoming stigmatization within maternal mental health programs. Through dynamic discussion among presenters and participants, the session will highlight opportunities for integrating mental health into food security and nutrition programming, lessons learned on successful ways to overcome challenges, and what specifically is needed to support implementers’ ability to integrate mental health into their programming. This will contribute to the conference’s objective to “share evidence-based research, disaggregated data, and emerging solutions to ensure improved health outcomes for children and adolescents.”
World Vision International, PATH, Independent Consultant
Pandemic Pivot: Innovative Approaches to Promote Youth Well-being Amidst COVID-19 Trauma and Mental Health are cross cutting themes. This particular session relates to partnerships, COVID-19, and technical innovation. The panel will describe how three organizations have pioneered mental health programming in response to COVID-19 to ensure children have access to mental health resources. 1) Amidst the unpredictability of 2020, the Trauma-Informed Change-Making (TICM) model allowed Global Trauma Project (GTP) to remain anchored yet adaptable. GTP’s process pivoted activities in response to changing conditions, while continuing to build upon community resilience, and address increasing rates of stress, crisis, and adversity. 2) Erk Mead is a pioneering TV/ Radio show in Ethiopia. Their mental health-focused programming reaches over 10 million people each week. Erk Mead breaks taboos, encouraging reflection, compassion, and dialogue about suppressed topics. 3) Project Hand Up is a Kenyan NGO that contextualizes social change messaging to be relevant and memorable. They utilize a variety of methods (puppetry, magic, and storytelling) to educate communities in an entertaining and culturally sensitive manner.
Global Trauma Project, Project HAND UP, Erk Mead
4.) Nutrition as a Key Element of Child and Adolescent Health
Presenters
Summary
5.) Mobilizing and Strengthening Cross Sectoral Investment Partnerships and Innovation for Improved Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Outcomes
Presenters
Summary
6.) Using Digital Tools to Help Unlock Potential and Strengthen Health Service Delivery
Presenters: Pamela Sheeran Vice President, Strategic Programs and Partnerships, Smile Train; Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano Area Director, South East Asia, Smile Train; Daniel Mena Psychologist, Mision Caritas Felices; Jessica Oyugi Community Health Specialist, UNICEF; Sathy Rajasekharan Executive Director, Jacaranda Health; Caitlin Augustin Senior Director of Product, DataKind; Simon Devine Research, Development and Digital Lead, Riders for Health; Bertha Tendo Nutrition Advisor, Smile Train
Summary
7.) From Rhetoric to Action: Making Adolescent Well-Being a Universal Priority During COVID-19 and Beyond
Presenters: Zoleka Mandela Child Health Initiative Global Ambassador; David Imbago Technical Program Officer, CORE Group; Valentina Baltag Unit Head, Adolescent and Young Adult Health, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health & Ageing World Health Organization; Chiamaka Nwachukwu African Union Office of the Youth Envoy; Dr. Sarah C. Thomsen Senior Adviser Health (Adolescents) in the Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health Team, UNICEF HQ, New York; Anjali Singla Principal Coordinator, Movement for Global Mental Health; Satvika Chalasani Technical Specialist, Adolescents and Youth, UNFPA; Omnia El Omrani Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations; Sally Beadle Programme Specialist, UNESCO; Desmond Nji Founder DESERVE, Focal point Advocating for Change for Adolescents Project (ACAP); Chris Armstrong Director of Health, Plan Canada; Danielle Mullings Region of the Americas Representative, Young Experts: Tech 4 Health. Co-Chair of the Resource and Investment Circle, Transform Health
Summary
Marketplace
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Room 1: Humanitarian Development Nexus / Fragility & Conflict
Presenters: Kate Golden Senior Nutrition Advisor, Concern Worldwide; Erin McCloskey Consultant, Nutrition Advisor, Concern Worldwide; Nefra Faltas Child Health Advisor, USAID; Michel Pacque Senior Child Health Technical Advisor, JSI; Kate Gilroy Senior Technical Advisor, Child Health and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, JSI; Meghan Pollak Senior Specialist, Nutrition SBC, Save the Children; Oumar Toe Health, Nutrition WASH Program Manager (ViMPlus), Save the Children
Room 2: Nutrition / WASH
Presenters: Armelle Sacher Social and Behavior Change Technical Advisor, Action Against Hunger; Sopheak San Former COMMON project manager, Independent; Nicole Coglianese Technical Advisor, Food for the Hungry; Christine Marie GeorgeAssociate Professor Department of International Health Program in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health;
Room 3: Social and Behavior Change
Presenters: Claire Boswell Senior Technical Advisor for SBC, Food for the Hungry; Supriya Akerkar Sr. Lecturer and Course Director, Oxford Brookes University; Josh Ayers Sr. Risk and Resilience Advisor, Food for the Hungry; Lauren Woodside de Alegre Risk and Resilience and Humanitarian Response Manager, Food for the Hungry; Romilla Karnati Early Childhood Care and Development Advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition/ Save the Children; Andrew Cunningham Social and Behavior Change Specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition; Madina Olomi Early Childhood Specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition; Jitendra Awale Deputy Director, CORE Group Polio Project India; Manoj Kumar Choudhary Demographer, CORE Group Polio Project; Dr. Roma Solomon Director, CORE Group Polio Project India
Room 4: Adolescent Health
Presenters: Mychelle Farmer Chief Medical Officer, Advancing Synergy; Arti Varanasi President, CEO, Advancing Synergy; Aaliya Bibi Senior Health Advisor, Plan International Canada; Atta Kabiru Health of Health, Plan International Nigeria; Tamanna Azmain Sayma Adolescent Peer Group Leader, Plan International Bangladesh; Rachel Shapiro Adolescent Health Technical Advisor, CARE
Room 5: Child Health
Presenters: Grace Peters Programs Associate, Smile Train; Camila Osorio Psychologist, Fundación Clínica Noel; Clodagh McLoughlin Senior Programmes Officer, World Vision Ireland; Joseph Musa Project Manager – AIM Health Plus, World Vision Sierra Leone; Anna Gunz Pediatric Intensivist, Assistant Professor, London Health Sciences Center and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; Fernando Diaz-Barriga Director of the WHO/PAHO Children´s Environmental Health and Health Risk Assessment Collaborating Center; Alexander Doroshenko Pediatrician, Associate Professor, Adjunct Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Children’s Environmental Health Clinic (ChEHC), School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Medical Officer of Health, Edmonton Zone, Alberta Health Services; Amalia Laborde Medical doctor, clinical toxicologist, occupational medicine specialist, and Head Professor of Toxicology Faculty of Medicine, Republic University of Montevideo, Uruguay, Department of Toxicology at the University Clinical Hospital
Room 6: Partnerships and Engagement
Presenters:Hannah Hausi Technical Advisor, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI);Liya Haile Country Lead, Ethiopia, Girl Effect;Chief Dominique Kondji Kondji Executive Director, BCH Africa Cameroon (Building Capacities for Better Health in Africa); Kate BagshawTechnical Officer, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.; Amna Akhsheed General Manager Grant, Punjab Population Innovation Fund; Ali Imran Manager Technical, Punjab Population Innovation Fund; Dorcas Khasowa Youth and Gender Advisor, Afya Jijini;
Closing Plenary
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Acting Together Against a Global Health Threat: Interlinkages Between Climate Change and Child and Adolescent Health
Presenters: Dr. Maria NeiraDirector, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization; Cecilia Vaca JonesExecutive Director, Bernard Van Leer Foundation; Peter WinchCo-chair of the Johns Hopkins Sustainability Leadership Council; Nikki Fraser Indigenous Advocate/Founder of Uniting Our Voices; Omnia El Omrani Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations;David Imbago Technical Program Officer, CORE Group; Lisa Hilmi Executive Director, CORE Group; Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie Artist; Gareth Jones Youth Programme Consultant, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights; Camille Serelus Global Health Intern, CORE Group
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