Partnerships for Global Child Health

Abstract

Child mortality remains a global health challenge and has resulted in demand for expanding the global child health (GCH) workforce over the last 3 decades. Institutional partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable education, research, clinical service, and advocacy for GCH. When successful, partnerships can become self-sustaining and support development of much-needed training programs in resource-constrained settings. Conversely, poorly conceptualized, constructed, or maintained partnerships may inadvertently contribute to the deterioration of health systems. In this comprehensive, literature-based, expert consensus review we present a definition of partnerships for GCH, review their genesis, evolution, and scope, describe participating organizations, and highlight benefits and challenges associated with GCH partnerships. Additionally, we suggest a framework for applying sound ethical and public health principles for GCH that includes 7 guiding principles and 4 core practices along with a structure for evaluating GCH partnerships. Finally, we highlight current knowledge gaps to stimulate further work in these areas. With awareness of the potential benefits and challenges of GCH partnerships, as well as shared dedication to guiding principles and core practices, GCH partnerships hold vast potential to positively impact child health.

Improving Pediatric Academic Global Health Collaborative Research and Agenda Setting: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…40 Another study suggested that benefits of academic global health partnerships include publication of research, innovation and problem-solving from different perspectives, alliances promoting social justice, and enhanced capacity to scale-up effective interventions. 41 Although respondents in our study believed such partnerships to be beneficial overall, some respondents reported challenges in academic global health collaborations. Specifically, LMIC † Other reasons included "they were more insightful than other team members and able to define the research agenda consistent with national priorities" (n = 1), "they had to comply with their organization's rules" (n = 2), "often researchers from HICs use ideas, research questions, and even protocols that arise in low-income countries which then use them to promote their own research agenda" (n = 1), "the LMIC is used merely as a data source" (n = 1), "they were only interested in data and not true capacity building" (n = 1), and "they had a condescending attitude and did not sufficiently value the input from researchers in the low-income country" (n = 1).…”

Increasing Impact: Evaluation in Global Child Health Education, Clinical Practice, and Research

“…Additionally, evaluation in GCH education could be strengthened through more multiinstitutional evaluations. Collaborations with initiatives such as the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network, which supports 4 These evaluations allow other programs to replicate successful approaches.…”

“…3 In clinical practice, there are growing numbers of LMIC-HIC clinical partnerships, which provide clinical care and support mutual professional development. 4 There are also expanding opportunities for HIC clinicians to participate in short-term medical trips. 5 In research, there are increasing partnerships and networks supporting collaborative transnational GCH research.…”

“…5 In research, there are increasing partnerships and networks supporting collaborative transnational GCH research. 4 As GCH programs and partnerships expand and formalize, robust evaluation is needed to inform best practices and program improvement, provide accountability to communities served through GCH initiatives, and influence decision-making related to GCH priorities and funding. Our aim in this article is to (1) highlight current evaluation strengths; (2) identify evaluation needs and key evaluation questions (Table 1); and (3) suggest possible approaches to addressing evaluation needs in GCH education, clinical practice, research and partnerships.…”

Pediatric tropical medicine: The neglected diseases of children

“…With increasing recognition of the severity of the tropical diseases affecting children in developing nations, as well as among the poor living in wealthy countries, including the US, Europe, and Australia [33], should we consider reassessing the overall framework of pediatric tropical medicine? In 2017, the Global Health Task Force of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) outlined mechanisms of how partnerships might advance global child health and health systems, with an emphasis on seven “guiding principles”—equity, sustainability, mutual benefit, humility, inclusivity, social justice, and prevention of adverse impact—and four “core practices” of communications, leadership, conflict resolution, and evaluation [34]. Under this rubric, at least one way to proceed in the US might include building on our existing pediatric infectious diseases fellowship programs and adding, as a stackable credential, one of the several diploma or certificate courses in tropical medicine (and in-country experiences) that currently lead to certification by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) [35].…”