Learning and
Discovery Series

October 30th – November 17th 2023

About
the Series

VERSION FRANÇAISE
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

The Self-Care Learning and Discovery Series is back from October 30 to November 17 as an exciting virtual mini-conference! The premier self-care event of the year features more than twenty sessions that cut across hot topics in self-care research, programming, and advocacy.

Join us to unlock insights, ignite innovation, and make global connections! Organized by White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) on behalf of the Self-Care Trailblazer Group (SCTG), this is where self-care takes center stage.

There’s no fee to participate and everyone is welcome!

***Live simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French, and Spanish***

sessions ARCHIVE

Wednesday, Nov 1

8:30-9:30 AM EST / 12:30-1:30 PM GMT

Kick off the Self-Care Learning and Discovery Series with an energizing opening plenary! Participants will reflect back on key milestones in self-care through an interactive timeline activity, and then we’ll look forward with a keynote address about the impact and future of self-care from Dr. Guillermo Ortiz, Senior Medical Advisor at Ipas.

Watch the session here.

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10:00-11:30 AM EST / 2:00-3:30 PM GMT

During this dynamic session, we’ll discuss how Latin America’s harm-reduction safe abortion models help push and imagine new possibilities in a challenging setting like a post-Dobbs world and explore how we applied evidence and adapted a solution from Latin America to the U.S. through human-centered design and strategic partnerships.

Moderators:

  • Roopan Gill, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Vitala Global, Canada
  • James Estrada, Latinx Innovation Lead, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, United States

 

Speakers:

  • Lucia Villavicencio, Senior Innovation Lead, Planned Parenthood Global, Ecuador
  • Diana Moreno, Advocacy Director, Profamilia, Colombia
  • Caitlin Gerdts, Vice President of Research, Ibis Reproductive Health, USA
  • Daniela Tellez, Executive Director, Di Ramona, Mexico
  • Sandra Cardona, Co-Founder, Necesito Abortar, Mexico
  • Lynsey Bourke, Director of Regional Programs, DKT Mexico
  • Susana Medina, Co-Director of Sustainable Ecosystem Unit, Intersectional Approaches, Fòs Feminista, United States
  • Isabel Perez, Care Team Lead, Vitala Global Foundation
  • Farah Diaz-Tello, Senior Counsel, If/When/How, United States
  • Martha Dimitratou, Social Media Manager, Plan C Pills, United States
  • Melissa Madera, Special Projects Consultant, Plan C Pills, United States

 

Organizers: Vitala Global Foundation and Planned Parenthood Federation of America

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Self-care requires complex behavior change. To increase uptake and maintenance of self-care, programs must address social and behavioral drivers. Learn about the Social & Behavior Change Self-Care Framework and participate in a knowledge-sharing session on learnings and best practices for designing effective behavior change programs for self-care.

Moderator:

  • Abigail Winskell, Project Director, Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC), Population Services International

 

Speakers:

  • Heather Hancock, Senior Program Officer, John Hopkins University
  • Andréa Ferrand, Social and Behavior Change Senior Technical Advisor, Population Services International
  • Alison Pack, Program Officer, John Hopkins University

 

Organizers: Population Services International and John Hopkins University

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THURSDAY, Nov 2

6:00 – 7:30 AM EST / 11:00 – 12:30 PM GMT

Despite recommendations for women and newborns to have three postnatal visits in the first week of life, coverage remains low in many countries. Family-Led Postnatal Care (FLPC) offers a promising self-care model to safeguard the health and wellbeing of postnatal women and newborns. This session will explore development of the FLPC model and materials in Ethiopia, present research study findings, and invite families, community members, and midwives to reflect on their direct experiences.

Speakers:

  • Inés Alvarez-Gortari, Strategic Designer, ThinkPlace, Kenya
  • Anne Hyre, Overall Project Director, Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, United States
  • Della Berhanu, Ethiopia Project Director, Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, Ethiopia
  • Konjit Wolde, Technical Advisor Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, Ethiopia
  • Dedefo Teno, Program Manager Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, Ethiopia
  • Gadise Bekele, FPNC Research Lead, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Ethiopia
  • Tigist Awekelign, Midwife, Hidi Health Center, Ethiopia
  • Abebu Muche, Midwife, Denkaka Health Center, Ethiopia
  • Hirut Ayele, Custodian, Ude Village, Ethiopia
  • Shuferu Degisew, Custodian, Bekejo Village, Ethiopia
  • Abreham Sisay, FPNC Family/ Spouse, Ude Village, Ethiopia
  • Kelemuwa Ayigoda, FPNC Mother, Hidi Village, Ethiopia

 

Organizer: Jhpiego

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Poor mental health is the most critical health challenge facing young people globally, yet support services are scarce. This session will showcase a promising intervention called MindSKILLZ, a sport-based mental health promotion and prevention program for adolescents being implemented in Kenya. Hear from MindSKILLZ coaches and participants, take part in a sample MindSKILLZ exercise, and leave with rich insights into how a near-peer-led intervention can build young people’s self-care assets.  

Moderator:

  • Anthony Chazara, Technical Officer, Adolescents and Young People, Digital Health, & One2One Youth, LVCT Health, Kenya

 

Speakers:

  • Charmaine Nyakonda, Mental Health Specialist, GRS Inc.
  • Benjamin Mutuku, Program Officer, Mental Health, LVCT Health
  • Zakiah Magero, MindSKILLZ Coach, LVCT Health
  • Umi Said, MindSKILLZ Coach, LVCT Health
  • Elizabeth Okoth, Partnerships Program Manager, GRS Kenya

 

Organizers:  Grassroot Soccer, LCVT Health

Register
8:00-9:30 AM EST / 12:00 - 1:30 PM GMT

Self-care can be practiced everywhere, especially when different cadres and channels are equipped to support people managing their own health. This flash session will feature research and programming insights—from stable and humanitarian settings—on how to increase uptake of sexual and reproductive health self-care, including innovative approaches to train providers, promising strategies to expand pharmacy access, and more. 

Featured abstracts:

  • The power of empathy in supporting women to self-inject (Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi) | Fauzia Tariq, M&E Advisor, Population Services International
  • The role of feminist accompaniment groups and safe abortion hotlines in training the formal healthcare workforce in safe abortion care (Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria) | Ijeoma Egwuatu, Director Data, Innovation and Communications, Generation Initiative for Women and Youth Network (GIWYN)
  • Self-managed contraception availability and readiness of self-care promoters (SCPs) in Bidibidi and Palabek refugee settlements, Uganda | Juliet Nabunje, Senior Research and Innovation Officer, International Rescue Committee
  • Improving access to quality contraception and self-care: Exploring the viability of private pharmacies stocking and selling DMPA-SC for self-injection (Kenya) | Laura Nabwire, Kenya Practice Lead, inSupply Health Ltd 
  • Increasing access to self-managed abortion through pharmacies: Programmatic results and lessons from pilot testing in Oromiya, Ethiopia | Bekalu Chekol, Senior Research and Evaluation Advisor, Ipas Ethiopia
  • Increasing Access to HIV Self-Testing in the Private Sector in Nigeria | Dr. Olawale Durosinmi-Etti, Country Director, JSI Research & Training Institute 
  • Réponse d’urgence en SSR à l’Est de la RDC (SRH Emergency Response in Eastern DRC) | Célestin Iyango, Focal Point Zone Est DRC, Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Sustaining Self-Care Through Stakeholder-led Supportive Supervision and Mentorship: The DISCNG Approach (Nigeria) | Simeon Christian Chukwu, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Society for Family Health

 

Moderated by: Bhavya Gowda, Senior Market Access and Commercialization Lead, PATH

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For self-care to be truly institutionalized and widely practiced, an enabling environment is crucial. Join this panel discussion to hear key insights from advocates and experts at the vanguard of accelerating self-care policy initiatives in their countries and contexts. Leave with approaches, lessons, inspiration, and tools that you can adapt and apply in your setting!     

Featured presentations:

  • Building an Enabling Environment for Self-Care: Kenya’s Country Experience Adapting and Adopting National Self-Care Guidelines | Pamela Adhiambo, Advocacy and Communications Officer, Reproductive Health Network Kenya 
  • Domesticating Self-Care Policies: Uganda’s Sandboxing Approach to Adapting WHO Self-Care Guidelines | Moses Muwonge, Advisor, Samasha Medical Foundation
  • Nigeria’s Self-Care Revolution: United to form a common advocacy agenda across humanitarian and development contexts | Tahirat Omolara Eniola, Research and Innovation Manager, Nigeria, International Rescue Committee
  • Mobilizing advocates for self-care across sectors and health areas in Senegal | Ida Ndione, Senior Program Officer, PATH
  • The role of self-injection in paving the way for wider self-care guidelines in Zambia| Monica Mutesa, Country Coordinator Access Collaborative Zambia, PATH
  • Insights and Recommendations for DMPA-SC Self-Administration in India | Sushanta Kumar Banerjee, Chief Technical Officer, Research and Evaluation, Ipas Development Foundation

 

Moderated by: Kimberly Whipkey, Senior Advocacy and Communications Manager, White Ribbon Alliance Global

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Wednesday, Nov 8

6:00 – 7:30 AM EST / 11:00 – 12:30 PM GMT

Telemedically-supported abortion and postabortion self-care can increase access to services and be more responsive to patient needs than in-clinic options. This session will get practical and present three different African self-care models for abortion/postabortion care as implemented in Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa. Learn how factors such as cost, internet penetration, digital literacy, retail availability of abortifacients, patient preferences, financial infrastructure, and postal/courier system performance influence service delivery design, and leave with concrete considerations for your own context.   

Moderator:

  • Verónica Fernández, Operations Manager, Women on Web

 

Speakers:

  • Victoria Satchwell, Executive Director, Abortion Support South Africa, South Africa
  • Zyh Akumawah, Executive Director, EasyHealth Cameroon, Cameroon
  • Elymas E. Dekonor, Head of Marketing, Marie Stopes Ghana

 

Organizers: Abortion Support South Africa, Women on Web 

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In this skills-building workshop, join us to dive deep into human-centered design (HCD), exploring how it elevates our ability to create interventions that align with the self-care needs of young people. Prepare for blue-sky thinking and a practical opportunity to learn and practice ideation and creative approaches to designing self-care interventions that center young people. Depart with HCD ideation tools, templates, and the confidence to empower youth in your mission for enduring change.

Moderator:

  • Liz McNeil, HCDExchange, Senior Community Manager, Kenya

Speakers:

  • Joel Munyaradzi, HCDExchange, Senior HCD Lead, Zimbabwe
  • Susan Towett, HCDExchange, Youth Engagement Officer, Kenya
  • Collins Ongola, PSI/A360 County Coordinator & HCDExchange Youth Leadership Hub Associate, Kenya

 

Organizers: HCDExchange and Population Services International/A360

Register
8:00 – 9:30 AM EST / 1:00 – 2:30 PM GMT

Frontline activists in anti-GBV and pro-LGBTIQ movements often experience vicarious trauma and burnout. However, needs of staff are seldom considered when funding organizations. In this interactive session, leaders of three community-led organizations in Uganda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe discuss the difference small supplemental grants have made to staff mental health and self-care.

Moderator:

  • Leah Odle-Benson, Deputy Director Impact and Learning, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Canada

 

Speakers:

  • Ssenfuka Joanita Warry, Executive Director, Freedom and Roam Uganda
  • Mpumi Zondi, Clinical Director, Sophiatown Community Psychological Services, South Africa
  • Dinah Sisipenzi, Head of Counselling, Musasa, Zimbabwe

 

Organizers: Stephen Lewis Foundation, Freedom and Roam, Musasa, and Sophiatown Community Psychological Services

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Many self-care initiatives require the provision of products from a trained individual who can answer questions the end-user has, making private pharmacies an ideal delivery channel. The fact that they have longer operational hours, less waiting times as well as trained pharmacy providers makes them a preferred channel for many audiences. This panel will look at how to determine whether private pharmacies are more likely to increase access to self- care initiatives; the potential of and lessons learned in working with pharmacies; and a comparison between private pharmacies’ clientele’s demographic and outcomes and those accessing self-care in public sector settings.

Moderator:

  • Alemeshet Ayalew, Pharmacist, Ethiopia

 

Speakers:

  • Risha Hess, Principal, Propelevate, United States
  • Tabitha Kareithi, Pharmacist, Partners in Health and Research Development, Kenya
  • Josselyn Neukom, Senior Vice President Public Health, SwipeRx, Vietnam

 

Organizers: Propelevate, SwipeRx, and the Pharm PrEP partnership

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Thursday, Nov 9

8:00 – 9:30 AM EST / 1:00 – 2:30 PM GMT

Although self-care was not included in the 2023 UHC Political Declaration, it contains important commitments relevant to young people and their access to health care. This session will highlight concrete actions advocates can take to strengthen self-care initiatives in-country and how to use the UHC Political Declaration as an advocacy tool.

Moderator: Ruele Okeyo, Director, Kenneth and Jacob’s House

Speakers:

  • Priscilla Ama Addo, Communications and Advocacy Graduate Trainee, Y+ Global;
  • Cyprian Komba, Project Coordinator, Network of young people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (NYP+)
  • Elina Mwasinga, National Coordinator, National Association for Young People Living with HIV (Y+ Malawi)
  • Wankumbu Simukonda, District Coordinator, Copper Rose Zambia
  •  

Organizers: Aidsfonds, Y+ Global, You(th) Care partnership

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This session will amplify lessons from five self-care interventions in family planning and HIV prevention — with case studies on DMPA-SC, the Caya Diaphragm, the Dual Prevention Pill, HIV self-testing, and Triggerise, an mHealth platform – to highlight successful self-care strategies applicable across settings and discuss the future of self-care in sexual and reproductive health.

Moderators:

  • Mitchell Warren, Executive Director, AVAC, United States
  • Wawira Nyagah, Director of Product Introduction and Access, AVAC, Kenya
  • Anna Rammou, Interim Manager, SRHR Access, CIFF, United Kingdom

Speakers:

  • George William Barigye, Regional Technical Advisor- Anglophone countries, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH, Uganda
  • Alexandra Angel, FP Technical Advisor, MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery (MPHD), PSI, United States
  • Charlotte Pahe, Project Lead, Integrated Portfolio, PS Kenya, Kenya
  • Serah Malaba, Chief Impact Officer, Triggerise, Kenya
  • Kate Segal, Senior Program Manager, Product Introduction and Access, AVAC, United States

 

Organizers: AVAC, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

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10:00 – 11:30 AM EST / 3:00 – 4:30 PM GMT

DMPA-SC self-injection is an important strategy for promoting women’s contraceptive access, choice, and autonomy, with a growing number of countries moving toward introduction and scale up. This panel will share research findings from several countries that illuminate the potential of DMPA-SC self-injection to meet diverse women’s and adolescents’ needs and surface practical questions and solutions where rollout is underway.

Featured abstracts:

  • Understanding inter-facility variation in DMPA-SC self-injection uptake in Uganda: Does low uptake indicate lack of demand? | Allen Namagembe, Deputy Project Director, PATH
  • Mobile Outreach Model: Expanding access to self-care among adolescents and youth in Malawi | Elizabeth Katunga Msukwa, Program Manager – DISC, Family Health Services
  • Acceptability and feasibility of DMPA-SC self-injection as a self-care intervention in Liberia: Findings from an implementation pilot | Vekeh L. Donzo, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Clinton Health Access Initiative 
  • Factors Associated with Uptake and Continuation of DMPA-SC Self-Injection in South Sudan: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study in Rural and Urban Settings | Lual Agok Luka Luka, Research Manager, International Rescue Committee and Dr. Abraham John Thubo, Project Manager, Reproductive Health Association of South Sudan 

 

Moderated by: Ebony Fontenot, Senior Technical Advisor, John Snow, Inc.

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With climate crises increasingly affecting us all, the conversation on self-care and climate resilience is long overdue. Join us as we explore topics including personal/family emergency preparedness as a form of self-care, self-care solutions to mitigate the risks of extreme heat, and climate resilience resources for frontline health workers and communities.

Moderator: Nicole Loher, Climate Communications Strategist, Researcher & Lecturer, NYU Adjunct, Columbia Climate School, USA

Speakers:

  • Rafia Rauf, Project Director, Forum for Women Development and Research/White Ribbon Alliance Pakistan 
  • Carmen Logie, Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity & Social Justice with Marginalized Populations, University of Toronto, Canada
  • Nile Nair, Ph.D. Candidate and C-Change Ambassador, Harvard-C-Change, Fiji/USA

 

Organizers: Harvard C-CHANGE, White Ribbon Alliance, Arsht-Rock Resilience Center

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Wednesday, Nov 15

8:00 – 9:30 AM EST / 1:00 – 2:30 PM GMT

In this session, stakeholders in refugee settlements in Uganda and crisis-affected northeast Nigeria will discuss their efforts to assess self-managed contraception knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) amongst health providers, drug shop owners, and pharmacists serving displaced populations. Audience members will refresh their self-managed contraception knowledge and anonymously share their perspectives around key topics during an interactive anonymous quiz/game show, featuring questions from the assessments. The session will conclude with a group brainstorming, to discuss ways participants can apply or are already applying similar strategies in their work to inform self-managed contraception program design, implementation, and service quality.

Speakers:

  • Tahirat Omolara Eniola, Research & Innovation Manager, International Rescue Committee, Nigeria
  • Brenda Akot, Program Manager, WORUDET, Uganda
  • Justus Muhwezi, Program Manager, ACORD Uganda
  • Esther Nandutu, Senior Program Officer, International Rescue Committee, Uganda
  • Nicholas Otto, Senior Program Officer, International Rescue Committee, Uganda

 

Organizers: International Rescue Committee, ACORD Uganda, WORUDET (Women and Rural Development Network)

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Introduction and scale up of self-care interventions requires substantial groundwork to facilitate adoption and integration into health systems. This session will walk participants through the introduction and scale-up journey of the self-injectable contraceptive subcutaneous DMPA (DMPA-SC)—highlighting resources for advocacy and coordination among stakeholders, procurement planning, program design, and financing.

Moderator:

  • Bonnie Keith; Senior Advisor, Policy, Advocacy and Learning; PATH; United States

Speakers:

  • Wanjiku Manguyu, Regional Advocacy and Policy Advisor, PATH, Kenya
  • Nadia Olson, Senior Advisor, JSI, United States
  • Monica Mutesa, Access Collaborative Country Coordinator, PATH, Zambia
  • Charles Mhango, Director of Clinical Quality and Training, Banja La Mtsogolo/MSI Reproductive Choices, Malawi

Organizers: The Injectables Access Collaborative: PATH, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), inSupply Health, Jhpiego, and JSI

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10:00 – 11:30 AM EST / 3:00 – 4:30 PM GMT

This panel will explore self-care and reproductive health-related bleeding from several intriguing lenses, drawing on research and programmatic findings from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Topics include informational and product needs/solutions for managing bleeding during menstruation and after an abortion; use of misoprostol for menstrual regulation; and tools for counseling clients on menstrual changes associated with contraceptive use.

Featured abstracts:

  • The acceptability of reusable menstrual pads from the perspective of menstrual hygiene management in Bolivia | Mina Lee, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNFPA
  • MÍREME – A new opportunity for menstrual regulation (Guatemala and Peru) | Diana Santana, Regional Program Director, Planned Parenthood Global
  • Preparing for a self-managed abortion: Examining the relationship between expectations and experiences with bleeding during the abortion process (India) | Katie Key, Associate Research Scientist, Ibis Reproductive Health
  • Implementation and Scale Up of the NORMAL Counseling Tool for Menstrual Bleeding Changes in Kenya | Marsden Solomon, Independent Consultant and Alice Olawo, Senior Technical Officer, FHI360

 

Moderated by: Petra Procter, Senior Programme Manager, Concept Foundation

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This “listen up” session is intended to create a safe space to explore tough questions and to reflect on how current dialogue around family planning self-care corresponds to how individuals understand self-care, what they want from it, and what this means for how to approach policymaking and program implementation.

Moderator:

  • Trinity Zan, Deputy Director, Research Utilization, R4S project, United States

 

Speakers:

  • Charles Olaro, Director of Curative Services, Department of Clinical Services, Ministry of Health, Uganda
  • Edward Serem, Head, Division of Reproductive and Maternal Health, Ministry of Health, Kenya
  • Karen Owende, Ministry of Health, Kenya

 

Organizer: FHI 360/Research for Scalable Solutions project

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Thursday, Nov 16

8:00 – 9:30 AM EST / 1:00 – 2:30 PM GMT

In 2023, more than 2 million women and young people in upwards of thirty countries were asked about their top priorities for their health and well-being. In this culminating session, hear directly from women, young people, and the community organizers responsible for this massive undertaking about how best they can be supported and their solutions for change.  

Speakers:

  • Sujoy Roy, National Advocacy Officer, Child in Need Institute
  • Clarisse Aquino, Project Officer, Coalition of Services of the Elderly
  • Ben Abdoul Azize Sawadogo, Programs Manager, SOS Jeunesse et Défis
  • Rafia Rauf, National Coordinator/Projects Director, Forum for Women Development and Research
  • Patricia Lopez, States and Projects Coordinator, Equidad de Genero
  • Amal M., Research Associate, HelpAge
  • Asha George, Senior Advisor for Women’s Health, Exemplars in Global Health
  • Noha Salem, Global Women’s Health Policy Lead, Organon  
  • Diana Copeland, Advocacy and Communications Manager, WRA Global
  • Merette Khalil, Women’s Health and Well-being Campaign Manager, WRA Global
Register
10:00 – 11:00 AM EST / 3:00 – 4:00 PM GMT

Join the Self-Care Learning and Discovery Series closing plenary! We’ll hear insights from SCTG Coalition Steering Committee members, Solome Nakaweesi and Milka Dinev, on the potential and impact of self-care. Participants will reflect on their key learnings and takeaways from the Series and collectively chart the way forward – including looking ahead to the next State of Self-Care Report.

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Organizers

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Partners

We thank members of the Self-Care Learning and Discovery Series Steering committee:

  • Adewole Adefalu, John Snow, Inc
  • Christy Asala, Independent Consultant
  • Kimberly Whipkey, White Ribbon Alliance
  • Sandy Garçon, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Aïssata Fall, Population Reference Bureau
  • Claire Rothschild, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Liz Bayer, Independent Consultant
  • Sarah Onyango, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Andrea Cutherell, Impact for Health
  • Gilda Sedgh, Independent Consultant 
  • Molly Browning, White Ribbon Alliance
  • Saumya RamaRao, Independent Consultant 
  • Babamole Olanrewaju, National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS, Population and Development
  • Harjyot Khosa, International Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Regional Office
  • Nathaly Spilotros, Rescue Committee 
  • Bonnie Keith, PATH
  • Jaitra Sathyandran, Impact for Health 
  • Pritha Biswas, Pathfinder International

Code of Conduct

We invite you to attend this virtual series in a spirit of curiosity, friendliness, open-mindedness, and respect. During the series, we will not tolerate harassment in any form. You will be asked not to participate. We also ask that you respect confidentiality and privacy requests by session organizers and speakers.

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Join us in this illuminating session as we explore the evolution of the STAR self-testing project, sharing insights, challenges, and successes that have emerged over the years. By examining the lessons learned and considering the implications for future healthcare strategies, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of self-testing in improving healthcare accessibility and patient-centric services.    

This enlightening session promises to provide updates from WHO guidelines and share insights on the journey toward viral hepatitis elimination. It will also showcase outcomes from the STAR hepatitis C self-testing research and discuss how these findings could potentially inform hepatitis B antigen self-testing and the use of multiplex test kits in the context of triple elimination. Join us in this crucial discussion as we work together to fast-track the global journey toward a hepatitis-free world by 2030.   

In this two-part session, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PSI, and Population Solutions for Health will share lessons and best practices from rigorous research and hands-on implementation experience in Zimbabwe. The session will cover important topics like client-centered, community-led demand creation, differentiated service delivery, sustainable financing, and digital solutions. The sessions will also cover lessons in the program.  

In this session, PSI and PSH will share lessons for optimizing access to comprehensive, culturally sensitive HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. Topics will include enhancing the accuracy and reliability of sex worker population data, improving HIV case finding among men who have sex with men (MSM) through reverse index case testing, and scaling differentiated service delivery models. The session will also cover integrating mental health and substance abuse in key populations (KP) programming and lessons in public sector strengthening.  

Additionally, the session will showcase solutions that MSMs have co-designed, highlighting how this collaboration has improved the consumer care experience. It will demonstrate the critical role of KP communities in establishing strong and sustainable HIV responses, including amplifying KP voices, strengthening community-led demand, and establishing safe spaces at national and subnational levels for KP communities to shape and lead the HIV response.

This enlightening session promises to provide updates from WHO guidelines and share insights on the journey toward viral hepatitis elimination. It will also showcase outcomes from the STAR hepatitis C self-testing research and discuss how these findings could potentially inform hepatitis B antigen self-testing and the use of multiplex test kits in the context of triple elimination. Join us in this crucial discussion as we work together to fast-track the global journey toward a hepatitis-free world by 2030. 

In this two-part session, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PSI, and PSH will share lessons and best practices from rigorous research and hands-on implementation experience in Zimbabwe. The session will cover important topics like client-centered, community-led demand creation, differentiated service delivery, sustainable financing, and digital solutions. The sessions will also cover lessons in program management. These insights are applicable beyond Zimbabwe and can be used to scale up HIV prevention efforts in the region.

03

Scaling Digital Solutions for Disease Surveillance

Strong surveillance systems are essential to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Since 2019, PSI has worked alongside the Ministries of Health in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to strengthen disease surveillance systems and response. Learn more here.

02

Misinformation and Vaccine Hesitancy

As COVID-19 spread globally, so did misinformation about countering the pandemic. In response, PSI partnered with Meta to inspire 160 million people to choose COVID-19 preventative behaviors and promote vaccine uptake. Watch the video to learn how. 

01

The Frontline of Epidemic Preparedness and Response 

Early warning of possible outbreaks, and swift containment actions, are key to preventing epidemics: disease surveillance, investigation and response need to be embedded within the communities. Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) are designed to monitor public health events, define policies, standards and operating procedures, and build capacity for disease surveillance and response. Learn more here. 

integrating pharmacies and drug shops into the health system

read

HOW COULD PRIVATE SECTOR PHARMACIES AND DRUG SHOPS ADVANCE PROGRESS TOWARDS UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Private sector pharmacies and drug shops play an important role in improving access to essential health services and products for millions of people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where healthcare resources are often limited. However, the way in which these outlets are, or are not, integrated into health systems holds significant importance. Do they serve as facilitators of affordable, high-quality care? Or have they become sources of substandard health services and products?

Read the blog here
Read the technical brief here

listen to the podcast

The Consumer as CEO

For over 50 years, PSI’s social businesses have worked globally to generate demand, design health solutions with our consumers, and work with local partners to bring quality and affordable healthcare products and services to the market. Now consolidating under VIYA, PSI’s first sexual health and wellness brand and social business, our portfolio represents the evolution from traditionally donor–funded projects towards a stronger focus on sustainability for health impact over the long term. Across 26 countries, the VIYA model takes a locally rooted, globally connected approach. We have local staff, partners and providers with a deep understanding of the markets we work in. In 2022, we partnered with over 47,000 pharmacies and 10,000 providers to reach 11 million consumers with products and services, delivering 137 million products. VIYA delivers lasting health impact across the reproductive health continuum, from menstruation to menopause. Consumer insights drive our work from start to finish. Their voices, from product exploration to design, launch, and sales, ensure that products not only meet consumers’ needs but exceed their expectations. The consumer is our CEO. 

In 2019, our human-centered design work in East Africa explored ways that our work could support and accompany young women as they navigate the various choices required for a healthy, enjoyable sexual and reproductive life. Harnessing insights from consumers, VIYA is revolutionizing women’s health by addressing the confusion, stigma, and unreliability surrounding sexual wellness. Across five markets – Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Pakistan – VIYA utilizes technology to provide women with convenient, discreet, and enjoyable tools for making informed choices about their bodies. The platform offers a wealth of high-quality sexual wellness information, covering topics from periods to pleasure in an accessible and relatable manner. Additionally, VIYA fosters a supportive community where users can share experiences and receive guidance from counselors. In 2023, VIYA will begin offering a diverse range of sexual wellness products and connect users with trusted healthcare providers, ensuring comprehensive care tailored to individual needs.  

Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

By: Fana Abay, Marketing and Communications Director, PSI Ethiopia 

In rural Ethiopia, women and girls often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, which can be located hours away. Moreover, there is a prevailing stigma surrounding the use of contraception, with concerns about potential infertility or the perception of promiscuity. To address these challenges, the Smart Start initiative has emerged, linking financial well-being with family planning through clear and relatable messaging that addresses the immediate needs of young couples—planning for the lives and families they envision. Smart Start takes a community-based approach, utilizing a network of dedicated Navigators who engage with women in their localities. These Navigators provide counseling and refer interested clients to Health Extension Workers or healthcare providers within Marie Stopes International-operated clinics for comprehensive contraceptive counseling and services.  

In a significant development, PSI Ethiopia has digitized the proven counseling messaging of Smart Start, expanding its reach to more adolescent girls, young women, and couples. This approach aligns with the priorities set by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) and is made possible through funding from Global Affairs Canada. The interactive and engaging digital messaging has revolutionized counseling services, enabling clients to make informed and confident decisions regarding both their finances and contraceptive choices. 

Clients who received counseling with the digital Smart Start tool reported a higher understanding of their options and were more likely to choose contraception (74 percent) compared to those counseled with the manual version of Smart Start (64 percent). Navigators also found the digital tool more effective in connecting with clients, leading to higher ratings for the quality of their counseling. 

By December 2023, PSI Ethiopia, working in close collaboration with the MOH, aims to reach over 50 thousand new clients by leveraging the digital counseling tool offered by Smart Start. This innovative approach allows for greater accessibility and effectiveness in providing sexual and reproductive health services, contributing to improved reproductive health outcomes for women and couples across the country. 

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

By: Christopher Lourenço, Deputy Director, Malaria, PSI Global 

Community health workers (CHWs) are critical lifelines in their communities. Ensuring they have the training, support, and equipment they need is essential to keep their communities safe from malaria, especially in the hardest to reach contexts. 

For example, in Mali, access to formal health services remains challenging, with four in ten people living several miles from the nearest health center, all without reliable transportation or access. In 2009, the Ministry of Health adopted a community health strategy to reach this population. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Impact Malaria project, funded by USAID and led by PSI, supports the Ministry with CHW training and supervision to localize health services.  

In 2022, 328 thousand malaria cases were recorded by CHWs); 6.5 thousand severe malaria cases were referred to health centers, according to the national health information system. 

During that time, the PMI Impact Malaria project (IM) designed and supported two rounds of supportive supervision of 123 CHWs in their workplaces in the IM-supported regions of Kayes and Koulikoro. This included developing and digitizing a standardized supervision checklist; and developing a methodology for selecting which CHWs to visit. Once a long list of CHW sites had been determined as accessible to supervisors for a day trip (including security reasons), the supervisors telephoned the CHWs to check when they would be available to receive a visit [as being a CHW is not a full-time job, and certain times of the year they are busy with agricultural work (planting, harvesting) or supporting  health campaigns like mosquito net distribution].  

Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.  

Beyond the observed interactions with patients, supervisors heard from community members that they were pleased that CHWs were able to provide essential malaria services in the community. And the data shows the impact. 

In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent. 

Supportive supervision with interviews and observations at sites improved the basic competencies of CHWs between the first and second rounds, and additional rounds will help to understand the longer-term programmatic benefits.

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

By: Dr. Dorothy Balaba, Country Representative, PSI Ethiopia  

In Ethiopia, PSI leads the implementation of USAID Transform WASH (T/WASH) activity with consortium partners, SNV and IRC WASH. Contrary to traditional models that rely on distribution of free or heavily subsidized sanitation products, T/WASH utilizes a market-based sanitation approach. This approach creates sustainable and affordable solutions, by integrating market forces and supporting businesses to grow, while creating demand at the household level. 

During the last six years, T/WASH has worked alongside the private sector and government (Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water and Energy, and Ministry of Labor and Skills), among other stakeholders, to increase household access to affordable, quality sanitation products and services. For example, more than 158 thousand households have invested in upgraded sanitation solutions with rapid expansion to come as the initiative scales and market growth accelerates. 

T/WASH has successfully trained more than 500 small businesses, including community masons and other construction-related enterprises, with technical know-how in sanitation product installation, operational capacities, and marketing and sales skills needed to run successful, growing businesses. The Ethiopian government is now scaling the approach to all districts through various national, regional, and local institutions with requisite expertise. T/WASH has also worked the One WASH National Program, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water and Energy, and Ministry of Labor and Skills to examine policies that influence increased household uptake of basic WASH services, such as targeted sanitation subsidies, tax reduction to increase affordability, and increased access to loan capital for business seeking to expand and households needing help to improve their facilities. 

To share the journey to market-based sanitation, representatives of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the USAID Transform WASH team took to the stage at the UN Water Conference in 2023.

“Rather than relying on traditional aid models that often distribute free or heavily subsidized sanitation products, market-based sanitation creates sustainable and affordable solutions, integrating market forces and supporting businesses to grow.”  

— Michael Negash, Deputy Chief Party of T/WASH 

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

By: Dr Karin Hatzold, Associate Director HIV/TB/Hepatitis

Building upon the success and insights gained from our work with HIV self-testing (HIVST), PSI is actively applying this approach to better integrate self-care, more broadly, in the health system beginning with Hepatitis C and COVID-19. Self-testing has emerged as a powerful tool to increase access to integrated, differentiated, and decentralized health services, accelerating prevention, care, and treatment for various diseases, while also increasing health system resilience against COVID-19.

Here’s how we got there.

Seven years ago, the landscape of HIV self-testing lacked global guidelines, and only the U.S., the UK and France had policies in place that allowed for HIV self-testing. High disease burdened countries in low-and-middle-income-countries (LMICs) lacked evidence and guidance for HIVST despite major gaps in HIV diagnosis.

However, through the groundbreaking research from the Unitaid-funded HIV Self-Testing Africa (STAR) initiative led by PSI, we demonstrated that HIVST is not only safe and acceptable but also cost-effective for reaching populations at high risk with limited access to conventional HIV testing. This research played a pivotal role in informing the normative guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and shaping policies at the country level. As a result, more than 108 countries globally now have reported HIVST policies, with an increasing number of countries implementing and scaling up HIVST to complement and  partially replace conventional testing services. This became especially significant as nations tried to sustain HIV services amidst the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By leveraging our expertise, PSI is conducting research to identify specific areas and populations where the adoption of Hepatitis C and COVID-19 self-testing could significantly enhance testing uptake and coverage. This research serves as the foundation for developing targeted strategies and interventions to expand access to self-testing, ensure that individuals have convenient and timely options for testing for these diseases, and are linked to care, treatment and prevention services through differentiated test and treat approaches.

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

By: Shawn Malone, Project Director, HIV/AIDS Gates Project in South Africa, PSI Global

In South Africa, where the HIV response has lagged in reaching men, PSI’s Coach Mpilo model has transformed the role of an HIV counselor or case manager into that of a coach and mentor who provides empathetic guidance and support based on his own experience of living with HIV. Coaches are men who are not just stable on treatment but also living proudly and openly with HIV. Situated within the community and collaborating closely with clinic staff, they identify and connect with men struggling with barriers to treatment and support them in overcoming those barriers, whether that means navigating the clinic or disclosing their HIV status to their loved ones.

PSI and Matchboxology first piloted the model in 2020 with implementing partners BroadReach Healthcare and Right to Care as well as the Department of Health in three districts of South Africa. Since then, the model has been rolled out by eight implementing partners in South Africa, employing more than 300 coaches and reaching tens of thousands of men living with HIV. To date, the model has linked 98 percent of clients to care and retained 94 percent of them, in sharp contrast to the estimated 70 percent of men with HIV in South Africa who are currently on treatment.

Given the success of the program, South Africa’s Department of Health and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have each embraced the Coach Mpilo model in their health strategy and are embedding it in their strategies and programs. 

“The men we spoke to [while I was traveling to South Africa for a PrEP project with Maverick Collective by PSI] were not only decidedly open to the idea of taking a daily pill…many were willing to spread the word and encourage friends to get on PrEP too. We were able to uncover and support this new way forward because we had flexible funding to focus on truly understanding the community and the root barriers to PrEP adoption. This is the philanthropic funding model we need to effectively fight the HIV epidemic, and it’s beneficial for all sorts of social challenges.”

– Anu Khosla, Member, Maverick Collective by PSI

simplifying consumers’ journey to care in Vietnam

By: Hoa Nguyen, Country Director, PSI Vietnam

In late 2022, with funding from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, PSI and Babylon partnered to pilot AIOI in Vietnam. By combining Babylon’s AI symptom checker with PSI’s health provider locator tool, this digital health solution analyzes symptoms, recommends the appropriate level of care, and points them to health providers in their local area. The main goal is to support people in low-income communities to make informed decisions about their health and efficiently navigate the healthcare system, while reducing the burden on the healthcare workforce. The free 24/7 service saves people time and subsequent loss of income from taking time off work and from having to pay unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses. Under our global partnership with Meta, PSI launched a digital campaign to put this innovative product in the hands of people in Vietnam. By the end of June 2023 (in the nine months since product launch), 210 thousand people accessed the AIOI platform; 2.4 thousand people created personal accounts on the AIOI website, 4.8 thousand triages to Symptom Checker and linked 2.2 thousand people to health facilities.   

Babylon’s AI symptom checker and PSI’s health provider locator tool captures real-time, quality data that supports health systems to plan, monitor and respond to consumer and provider needs. But for this data to be effective and useable, it needs to be available across the health system. Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard provides a common, open standard that enables this data exchange.
PSI’s first consumer-facing implementation of FHIR was launched in September 2022 as part of the Babylon Symptom Checker project in Vietnam, enabling rapid alignment between PSI and Babylon’s FHIR-enabled client records systems. PSI already has several other consumer health FHIR implementations under active development in 2023, including PSI’s collaboration with the Kenya MOH to launch a FHIR-enabled WhatsApp national health line for COVID-19 health information. PSI will also look to adopt and scale health workforce-facing FHIR-enabled tools, such as OpenSRP2, which will be piloted in an SRH-HIV prevention project in eSwatini in partnership with Ona by the end of 2023.

— Martin Dale, Director, Digital Health and Monitoring, PSI

Engaging the private sector for disease surveillance in Myanmar

By: Dr. Zayar Kyaw, Head of Health Security & Innovation, PSI Myanmar

Under a three-year investment from the Indo-Pacific Center for Health Security under Australia’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), PSI is enhancing disease outbreak surveillance and public health emergency preparedness and response capacities in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. When PSI conducted a review of existing disease surveillance systems in Myanmar, it identified several gaps: although the Ministry of Health had systems in place for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases, they were fragmented, with different reporting formats and reliance on paper-based reporting. In addition, private sector case surveillance data were not routinely captured, yet private clinics and pharmacies are the dominant health service delivery channel in the country. This hindered effective disease prevention and control efforts.

Building on our extensive private sector malaria surveillance work under the BMGF-funded GEMS project in the Greater Mekong Subregion, PSI implemented a case-based disease notification system using social media channels to overcome the limitations of paper-based and custom-built mobile reporting tools. These chatbots, accessible through popular social media platforms like Facebook Messenger and Viber, proved to be user-friendly and required minimal training, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The system was implemented in more than 550 clinics of the Sun Quality Health social franchise network as well as nearly 470 pharmacies. The captured information flows to a DHIS2 database used for real-time monitoring and analysis, enabling rapid detection of potential outbreaks. Local health authorities receive instant automated SMS notifications, enabling them to promptly perform case investigation and outbreak response.

In 2022, private clinics reported 1,440 malaria cases through the social media chatbots, while community mobilizers working with 475 private providers and community-based malaria volunteers reported more than 5,500 cases, leading to the detection of two local malaria outbreaks. Local health authorities were instantly notified, allowing them to take action to contain these surges in malaria transmission. During the same time, pharmacies referred 1,630 presumptive tuberculosis cases for confirmatory testing – a third of which were diagnosed as tuberculosis and enrolled into treatment programs.

Training health workers in Angola

By: Anya Fedorova, Country Representative, PSI Angola  

The shortage of skilled health workers is widely acknowledged as a significant barrier to achieving Universal Health Coverage. To address this challenge, PSI supported ministries of health to develop a digital ecosystem that brings together stewardship, learning, and performance management (SLPM). The ecosystem enhances training, data-driven decision-making, and the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Here’s what it looks like in practice.

In July 2020, PSI Angola, alongside the Angolan digital innovation company Appy People, launched Kassai, an eLearning platform that targets public sector health workers in Angola. Through funding from USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiatve (PMI), Kassai features 16 courses in malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health – with plans to expand learning topic areas through funding from ExxonMobil Foundation and private sector companies. A partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, provides all public health providers in Angola free internet access to use Kassai.

Kassai’s analytics system to follow learners’ success rate and to adjust the course content to learners’ performance and needs. Kassai analytics are integrated with DHIS2 – the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Angolan MOH, to be able to link learners’ knowledge and performance with the health outcomes in the health facilities.  The analytics track learners’ performance by course and gives visibility by health provider, health facility, municipality, and province. Each course has pre-and post-evaluation tests to track progress of learning, too.

By the end of 2022, there were 6,600 unique users on the Kassai platform and 31,000 course enrollments. PSI Angola’s partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, allows for free internet access to learn on the Kassai for all public health providers in Angola. Building on its success for malaria training, Kassai now also provides courses in family planning, COVID-19, and maternal and child health. This reduces training silos and provides cross-cutting benefits beyond a single disease.

Implementing the SLPM digital ecosystem brings numerous benefits to health systems. It allows for more strategic and efficient workforce training and performance management, enabling ministries of health to track changes in health workers’ knowledge, quality of care, service utilization, and health outcomes in real time. The ecosystem also supports better stewardship of mixed health systems by facilitating engagement with the private sector, aligning training programs and standards of care, and integrating private sector data into national HMIS. Furthermore, it enables the integration of community health workers into the broader health system, maximizing their impact and contribution to improving health outcomes and strengthening primary healthcare.

OUR COMMITMENTS

WHISTLEBLOWER AND ANTI-RETALIATION

PSI does not tolerate retaliation or adverse employment action of any kind against anyone who in good faith reports a suspected violation or misconduct under this policy, provides information to an external investigator, a law enforcement official or agency, or assists in the investigation of a suspected violation, even if a subsequent investigation determines that no violation occurred, provided the employee report is made in good faith and with reasonable belief in its accuracy.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Global Code of Business Conduct And Ethics

PSI’s code sets out our basic expectations for conduct that is legal, honest, fair, transparent, ethical, honorable, and respectful. It is designed to guide the conduct of all PSI employees—regardless of location, function, or position—on ethical issues they face during the normal course of business. We also expect that our vendors, suppliers, and contractors will work ethically and honestly.

OUR COMMITMENTS

The Future of Work

With overarching commitments to flexibility in our work, and greater wellbeing for our employees, we want to ensure PSI is positioned for success with a global and holistic view of talent. Under our new “work from (almost) anywhere,” or “WFAA” philosophy, we are making the necessary investments to be an employer of record in more than half of U.S. states, and consider the U.S. as one single labor market for salary purposes. Globally, we recognize the need to compete for talent everywhere; we maintain a talent center in Nairobi and a mini-hub in Abidjan. PSI also already works with our Dutch-based European partner, PSI Europe, and we’re creating a virtual talent center in the UK.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Meaningful Youth Engagement

PSI is firmly committed to the meaningful engagement of young people in our work. As signatories of the Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Adolescent & Youth Engagement, PSI affirms that young people have a fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in all matters that affect their lives. PSI’s commitments aim to serve and partner with diverse young people from 10-24 years, and we have prioritized ethics and integrity in our approach. Read more about our commitments to the three core principles of respect, justice and Do No Harm in the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Design. And read more about how we are bringing our words to action in our ICPD+25 commitment, Elevating Youth Voices, Building Youth Skills for Health Design.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Zero Tolerance for Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking

PSI works to ensure that its operations and supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking. Read more about this commitment in our policy statement, endorsed by the PSI Board of Directors.

OUR COMMITMENTS

UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT

Since 2017, PSI has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, a commitment to align strategies and operations with universal principles of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Read about PSI’s commitment to the UN Global Compact here.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Environmental Sustainability

The health of PSI’s consumers is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. That’s why we’ve joined the Climate Accountability in Development as part of our commitment to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Read about our commitment to environmental sustainability.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity

PSI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Read our full affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy here.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Zero Tolerance for Discrimination and Harassment

PSI is committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment that fosters harmonious, productive working relationships and encourages mutual respect among team members. Read our policy against discrimination and harassment here.

PSI is committed to serving all health consumers with respect, and strives for the highest standards of ethical behavior. PSI is dedicated to complying with the letter and spirit of all laws, regulations and contractual obligations to which it is subject, and to ensuring that all funds with which it is entrusted are used to achieve maximum impact on its programs. PSI provides exceptionally strong financial, operational and program management systems to ensure rigorous internal controls are in place to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse and ensure compliance with the highest standards. Essential to this commitment is protecting the safety and well-being of our program consumers, including the most vulnerable, such as women and children. PSI maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services, and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

OUR FOCUS

Diversity and Inclusion

PSI affirms its commitment to diversity and believes that when people feel respected and included they can be more honest, collaborative and successful. We believe that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background or religious beliefs. Read our commitment to diversity and inclusion here. Plus, we’ve signed the CREED Pledge for Racial and Ethnic Equity. Learn more.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Gender Equality

PSI affirms gender equality is a universal human right and the achievement of it is essential to PSI’s mission. Read about our commitment to gender equality here.

OUR FOCUS

Engaging the Private Sector

From ministries of health to regulatory bodies and purchasers, we partner with private and public sector players to provide seamless health services to consumers – no matter their entry point to care.

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OUR FOCUS

Scaling Digital Health Innovations

Across 40+ countries, we scale digital solutions that make it easier for people to take ownership of their own health, and health systems to use resources efficiently and increase health impact.

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Our Focus

Supporting People to be Active Agents in their Healthcare

We support health systems in shaping the policy and regulatory environment for self-care interventions and ensuring self-care is included as an essential part of healthcare services.

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Cover

01 #PeoplePowered

02 Breaking Taboos

03 Moving Care Closer to Consumers

04 Innovating on Investments

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4 WAYS WE’RE ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has a wide-ranging impact on health, ranging from infectious disease to food insecurity, heat and pollution-related illnesses, and injuries and death caused by extreme weather events. It also disrupts health systems and access to medical services that exacerbate health challenges. Adapting is key, all with the urgency of now. We explain how, below.

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