New data-to-action partners recently initiated a set of activities to support government-led efforts to end violence against children in Kenya and Namibia: LVCT Health and World Vision Kenya in Kenya, and Project Hope Namibia (PHN) and LifeLine/ChildLine (LLCL) in Namibia. These organizations will support cross-sectoral stakeholder coordination at national and sub-national levels and dissemination of the countries’ respective National Action Plans to End Violence Against Children. The Action Plans respond to data from their Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS). Picture courtesy: URC

The ISC MHPSS Learning Collaborative (LC) met on June 30 and July 27, 2022. In the first meeting, study teams implementing in Bangladesh (Action Contre la Faim/Johns Hopkins University/University of Virginia) and Panama/Ecuador (HIAS/Columbia University/University of Copenhagen) presented key findings from their evaluations of MHPSS interventions in their respective study settings. Following the presentations, study teams consulted with LC members on project-specific issues, including challenges of measuring community-based research, complexities of pragmatic field research, and opportunities for the LC to create and adapt better cross-cultural measures for trauma-impacted communities. The most recent meeting featured key findings and evaluation results from a pilot study implemented by War Child Holland in Jordan, with funding from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The pilot is an intervention focused on improving the well-being of families experiencing complex forms of distress (parenting, drug/alcohol use, financial, etc.).

The Landscape Analysis provides the first comprehensive review of country experiences in transforming their Violence Against Children and Youth Survey results into concrete sex- and age-specific improvements for children and young people. The analysis synthesizes the views of 225 stakeholders from across 20 countries, spanning four regions.

University of California San Francisco, together with partners in East Africa supported three “Person-Centered Respectful Care” webinars as part of an ongoing, regional continuing education seminar series led by Kenyatta National Hospital and University of Nairobi, with participation from Malawi University of Science and Technology, Makerere University, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and others. Approximately 1,000 colleagues attended the webinars covering: Innovations for Choice and Autonomy- ICAN for empowered contraceptive decision-making; Interventions to Advance Respectful Maternal Care; and Approaches to Addressing Respectful Newborn Care. To watch the webinars, visit the ISC YouTube channel and to register for this ongoing series. Picture courtesy: URC

Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum 2022

Sept. 19-23, 2022. Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum 2022. The largest global, abstract-driven research and advocacy conference on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality.

Global Health Practitioner Conference 2022

Oct. 3-5, 2022. Global Health Practitioner Conference 2022. This year’s annual conference commemorates 25 years of CORE Group collaboration and learning. Features knowledge sharing and skills-building sessions, updates on maternal and child health, dialogues on community health, and networking.

Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2022)

Oct. 31 - Nov 4, 2022. Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. Engage in discussions and presentations about the politics and policies of health systems, health provision models to promote equity, the role of comprehensive primary health care in promoting sustainability, and more

Best Practices Forum Postponed. The Best Practices Forum, originally planned to be held in July (Nairobi) is expected to be rescheduled after Kenya’s general elections in August 2022. Check upcoming IS for GH newsletters and here for updates.

The Implementation Science Collaborative YouTube channel includes live recordings of webinars and webinar excepts across all the thematic partnership areas. Plans are underway to add other types of content that will further illustrate the impact of the ISC.

Implementation Science Collaborative (ISC) is a multi-stakeholder network addressing a range of health and development priorities through the better use of evidence to inform implementation. The ISC partners work within and across diverse thematic areas, addressing issues such as woman-centered care, mental health and psychosocial support, protecting children from violence, and assistive technologies.

To learn more about the Implementation Science Collaborative visit iscollab.org

We acknowledge support from the Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development Project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under cooperative agreement AID-OAA-A-17-00002. The project team includes prime recipient, University Research Co., LLC (URC) and sub-recipient organizations. The information provided is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.