Geneva, Switzerland – 6 November 2024 – The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) and Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) are proud to announce a new partnership that will focus on transforming insights from the local health community in low- and middle-income countries into actionable insights about the pressing health challenges posed by climate change.
This collaboration aims to learn from the health community operating in areas severely impacted by climate shifts around the globe. The goal is to use a global survey to understand the specific health risks related to climate change and identify the barriers to address these challenges, especially in vulnerable communities. Through this partnership, GCC will ensure that its future innovation calls are grounded in the needs of those who are directly addressing the impacts of climate on health.
Karlee Silver, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, underscored the importance of this partnership, stating:
“At Grand Challenges Canada, we are committed to learning from those who are on the frontlines of health crises. With support from the global technology company Arm and the Government of Canada, we are partnering with The Geneva Learning Foundation to ensure that the insights and lived experiences of the local health community guide our search for innovations that are tailored to the unique challenges of climate-driven health risks.”
GCC will join TGLF’s Teach to Reach initiative—a global peer-learning network that connects over 60,000 health professionals from more than 80 countries— and this partnership will provide a platform for community-based health workers to share their experiences with the global health community. The majority (80%) of these health workers are based at the local level, ensuring that their insights reflect the realities faced by those most affected by climate-related health risks, such as rising temperatures, increased vector-borne diseases, and extreme weather events.
In the lead-up to Teach to Reach 11, taking place December 5-6, 2024, participating health workers will provide critical insights that will help to identify health risks exacerbated by climate change and reveal the systemic barriers they encounter in adapting to these risks. These insights will shape the event’s agenda and discussions, ensuring local perspectives are central to the discussion. Wider engagement with the health community will ramp up in early 2025 with the launch of a global survey, which will provide a crucial evidence base that can guide future policy discussions and innovation efforts.
The collaboration between GCC and TGLF aims to ensure that health workers’ insights around the health impacts of climate change are informing our efforts to support innovation worldwide. Grand Challenges Canada will harness the learning to shape future funding calls, accelerating the development of future innovations that are relevant, responsive and grounded in local knowledge and expertise.
Reda Sadki, Executive Director of The Geneva Learning Foundation emphasized:
“By harnessing the collective wisdom of community-based health professionals, Teach to Reach is accelerating progress on climate-sensitive health risks. Through our partnership with Grand Challenges Canada, we are catalyzing community resilience through peer learning. Together, we are empowering local health workers as leaders for change; facilitating rapid knowledge-sharing, allowing them to quickly adapt and respond to emerging challenges, and transforming shared knowledge into powerful action for better health worldwide.”
For more information or to participate in Teach to Reach 11, please visit: https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach
Contact:
Ammara Khan
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Aziz Froutan
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About The Geneva Learning Foundation
The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) is a Swiss non-profit organization that specializes in using learning science to build large-scale peer networks, focusing on critical issues such as health, development, and humanitarian crises. Through innovative digital learning experiences, the foundation empowers individuals and organizations to develop solutions to complex challenges, from climate change to conflict-related health risks. TGLF’s programs are grounded in research and focus on catalyzing collective capacity for transformation through global-local collaboration. Learn more at www.linkedin.com/company/geneva-learning-foundation.
About Grand Challenges Canada
Grand Challenges Canada is an innovation platform that funds Bold Ideas with Big Impact®. With support from the Government of Canada, ARM and other partners, we invest in innovative solutions that address pressing global challenges. Since 2010, GCC has funded more than 1500 innovations in over 100 countries, supporting locally-led health, humanitarian and Indigenous innovations that are reaching unserved and underserved communities. Learn more at www.grandchallenges.ca.
