Core Group

Maternal and child health:reaching zero dose children: Core Group worked to reach zero dose children through learning sessions, immunization roundtables and advocacy, including technical immunization sessions. We disseminated technical animations for reaching zero dose children globally.gavi raise4sahel project: Core Group assisted with the world vision-led, gavi-funded raise4sahel project which ensures immunization in humanitarian settings in 7 countries in the sahel. Core Group assisted with the learning agenda development and provides communications and knowledge management support. We provided technical support for learning products and advocacy training, disseminated newsletters and captured country-based stories of immunization in humanitarian settings.gavi reach project, led by irc: Core Group provides learning agenda support for the horn of africa project and acts as a conduit between raise4sahel and reach in the gavi-funded zip program. Core Group works closely with irc to synergize communications and knowledge management between the two projects, strategizing on learning agenda, communications and conveying stories from the country-led immunization partners, in the east africa and west africa regions. Agency4all: agency for all is a five-year (2022-2027) usaid-funded project that will generate evidence on the role of agency in effective social and behavior change programming to improve health and well-being for individuals and communities. Our work will advance cross-sector development outcomes including family planning and reproductive health, maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, infectious disease, and hiv/aids. Core Group is supporting hub development, communications and knowledge management. Agency for all is committed to advancing principles of inclusion and participation in locally-led research, monitoring, and evaluation. We center local leadership through hubs in east africa, west africa, and south asia, developing a network of implementing organizations, researchers, community representatives and other stakeholders with expertise and an interest in increasing individual and community agency to improve health.built on a strong consortium for collaborative learning on agency and social and behavior change, agency for all has assembled a diverse and highly experienced consortium of global, regional and country leaders in both implementation and research including: the center on gender equity and health (geh) at the university of California san diego (ucsd) (prime), Core Group, centre for catalyzing change, equimundo, evihdaf, international planned parenthood federation, makerere university, matchboxology, sambodhi, save the children, shujaaz, Inc., university of witswatersand, and viamo.core Group provided support for ethiopia and nigeria buy-ins around sbc learning in ethiopia and covid19 social and behavioral change for demand generation in nigeria. In nigeria, Core Group disseminated the scoping review and messenger effectiveness and message effects (meme) study on covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. Core Group led the agency4all regional coordinator activities that work in coordination with the social norms learning collaborative. Core Group is also working closely with the project team on the organizational network study to explore power dynamics within partnerships and uncover how organizational characteristics may inform deeply embedded inequities and how the agency is perceived and achieved.momentum 3b: Core Group is part of the momentum routine immunization transformation and equity project, which is part of a suite of innovative award funded by the u.s. agency for international development (usaid) to holistically improve family planning and maternal and child health in partner countries around the world. The project applies best practices and explores innovations to increase equitable immunization coverage in usaid-supported countries around the globe. It works to build countries' capacity to identify and overcome barriers to reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children and older populations with lifesaving vaccines and other integrated health services. The project also contributes to ongoing global efforts to mitigate the impact of covid-19 on immunization services and support countries to prepare for and introduce vaccines against covid-19 once they are available. Momentum routine immunization transformation and equity works at multiple levels and in alignment with global strategies such as the immunization agenda 2030 and gavi 5.0.the project was awarded to jsi research & training institute Inc., and their sub-partners path, accenture development partnerships, results for development, gobee Group, Core Group, and the manoff Group. The consortium brings a track record in shaping global direction and collaborates with local partners to improve immunization outcomes and build on the accomplishments and learnings. In 2023 Core Group provided technical assistance for vaccine demand, community-based perceptions of covid19 immunization, partnership models for immunization and other community-based approaches to immunization. Core Group conducted research with lvct kenya utilizing a photovoice approach for community-based perceptions of immunization solutions.small grants for scaled impact (sgsi): collaboration for improving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (srmncah): in 2023, Core Group began a participatory small grants program to advance sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (srmncah) programming, policy, and interventions in bangladesh, cambodia, and nepal. Funded by macp, the program provides financial, technical, and organizational resources to local civil society organizations (csos) led by women, youth, and people with disabilities. This approach will strengthen local and national organizations' technical and organizational capacity to design and implement community-based solutions to srmncah challenges, focusing on gender transformation, quality of care, and health equity.core Group works with 6 grantees in bangladesh, cambodia and nepal. Organizational assessments, technical capacity strengthening and training was on leadership, supervision, and management and the 2nd training was on monitoring evaluation accountability learning (meal) was conducted in 2023.

Infectious diseases:core Group polio project (cgpp): the Core Group polio project (cgpp) is a multi-country, multi-partner initiative providing financial support and on-the-ground technical guidance to strengthen host country efforts to eradicate polio. The cgpp works to improve vaccine uptake for polio (and other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles), conducts surveillance for infectious disease threats, and strengthens health systems. The cgpp operates with 11 international nongovernmental organizations (ingos) and 22 national and local ngos in seven countries: india, ethiopia, south sudan, nigeria, kenya, somalia, and uganda. A u.s.-based virtual secretariat developed by Core Group, serves as a global cgpp liaison, supplying overall coordination, technical assistance, organizes workshops, and financial management to maximize and harmonize resources among partners. Core Group also leads advocacy and social media efforts for cgpp and regularly updates the project's website with recent activities. Core Group provides administrative support for cgpp consultants and thought leadership and advocacy for polio and one health approaches at global meetings, promoting the secretariat approach.

Knowledge management:advocacy: Core Group continues to engage in high-level platforms to raise visibility and awareness of community health and women's, children's, and adolescent's health. Lisa hilmi is the co-chair for the who cso commission steering committee and advocates at the highest level for civil society participations. The executive director is also a key leader on the community health partnership with usaid, unicef and who. Core Group also led several sessions and contributed to the iphc-e conference in ethiopia, as well as at the united nations general assembly, including a side event on climate and health with Core Group members. The executive director chaired 2 sessions for the national academy of science, and engineering, & medicine strategic planning committee for the upcoming april/may virtual symposium on "science-based approaches for prioritizing capabilities for preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease epidemics and pandemics at the country level - a symposium." Core Group has multiple technical working groups that conduct technical sessions throughout the year and meet quarterly. Core Group members participate in quarterly town halls with usaid leadership, as well as contribute to global consultations for who, gavi and other global health entities. Core Group members successfully led a well-attended webinar on localization in 2023. Core Group provides knowledge products and event information to our members, as well as cultivating resources on the Core Group website. Core Group members are also actively preparing for the 2024 Core Group global health institute and global health practitioner conference in kenya 2024.

Core member services - as a membership organization, Core Group provides certain services to members which include global health education, technical assistance, networking opportunities, convening events like conferences and workshops, grant opportunities, advocacy, global health information, support services, and participation in technical working groups.

Emergency response covid19 - Core Group provided health education, messaging, and technical assistance during the covid-19 pandemic related to vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and vaccine demand, access to supplies and vaccinations, advocacy and other topics related to overall health that is impacted by covid19.