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Case Studies for Global Health: Case Studies Focus on Role of Multi-Sector Collaborations to Address Global Health Challenges

Successful multi-sector global health programs engage partners and policymakers early, communicate openly and frequently with relevant stakeholders, and empower and involve communities, according to a website relaunched this week, Case Studies for Global Health, www.casestudiesforglobalhealth.org.

The site provides a searchable collection of case studies, which illustrate that meaningful and lasting progress in addressing global health challenges cannot be achieved without these partnerships and collaborations. The case studies provide an inside look at the ways in which more than 25 diverse programs – addressing access to medicines and health services, discovery and development of new drugs and vaccines, health intervention and prevention programs, and health systems strengthening and capacity building -- have sought to address these complex challenges and develop and deliver effective health care for the developing world.

Spearheading the development of the 2012 edition of the Case Studies project are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Global Health Progress (an initiative among research-based biopharmaceutical companies), Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and Tropical Disease Research (TDR–the World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases). The group is known collectively as the Alliance for Case Studies for Global Health.

“Our purpose was straightforward – use the lens of a diverse range of global health initiatives to illustrate how people, organizations, companies and governments have worked together to address a wide range of global health concerns,” said Erik Iverson, Executive Vice President of Business Development and External Affairs at IDRI.

The Alliance, which published the first edition of the case studies in 2009 as a hard copy book, came together under a common goal – to provide a resource to the broad range of stakeholders who have voiced an interest in understanding how to efficiently build and manage partnerships to address global health challenges. The 2nd edition provides a progress report on some of the original case studies and introduces 13 new case studies on a variety of health conditions.

The case studies provide concrete information on current practices and the lessons learned; and serve as a reference tool for stakeholders as they more effectively develop future programs, activities and partnerships.

“Some of the case studies are success stories, others are works in progress,” said Labeeb Abboud, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.  “In every case, valuable insight can be gained from frank and honest assessments of what was learned along the way.”

The case studies can be found at www.casestudiesforglobalhealth.org

 

About the Alliance for Case Studies for Global Health

The multi-sector Case Studies for Global Health initiative was conceived by members of the Alliance in December 2007. Representatives from each organization shaped the collective vision regarding the scope and nature of the project, and issued a call for case studies in journals, websites, newsletters and social media channels in late 2011 in an effort to identify a broad set of global health activities from organizations, universities, companies and government agencies. Submitted case studies were reviewed by representatives from each Alliance organization.  The result is a collection of case studies that represent wide-ranging activities, stakeholders and approaches that are broad in scope and provide a balanced and insightful look at how programs act individually and collectively in the interest of addressing global health concerns.