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Our COVID-19 Response

Who leaders are and how they operate can be a matter of life and death for the communities they serve, especially during crises. GHC is mobilizing our network of leaders as a powerful antidote to the effects of COVID-19.

Leading Through COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to illustrate that all the medical and technology advances in the world aren’t enough to realize health as a human right for all.

Leadership is being revealed as the make-or-break lever for change that we at Global Health Corps have long believed it to be. Our diverse network of effective, connected, leaders are saving and improving lives during the pandemic. Unlocking their potential is key to preparing for future health crises.

Donate to support rising health equity leaders.

Global Health Corps is amplifying the impact of our network of 1,100+ health equity leaders as they respond to COVID-19 and advance health equity around the world. They bring a wide range of perspectives, born from their nontraditional backgrounds and lived experiences with inequity, to the unprecedented challenges we face.

GHC fellows work on the front lines of COVID-19 response, gaining experiential learning and filling critical gaps within health organizations in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia:

GHC alumni are rising leaders who leverage the training and network GHC provides to make an outsized impact. We've supported them to respond to the pandemic around the world, including:

Through our Collective Action Coalition & Fund (CACF) Program, GHC provides funding, technical assistance, and programming support to teams of GHC alumni who identify pressing pandemic-related community health issues and design solutions to address them. Eight coalitions across East and Southern Africa and the U.S. have prototyped solutions, including:

  • The Uganda Coalition is addressing the escalation of violence against women and girls as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and movement control measures. The coalition is working to empower vulnerable women and girls to take charge of their sexual and reproductive health needs, access medical and sheltering assistance for survivors of gender-based violence, and develop livelihoods and resilience plans.
  • The U.S. (NYC) Coalition is working to mitigate the lack of accessible and culturally sensitive information which creates barriers to comprehensive health and social services in underserved communities. Linking vulnerable populations in NYC to the support they need during the pandemic, the coalition is providing up-to-date information on available resources using a text-based communication platform.
  • The Rwanda Coalition is raising awareness on the need for and lack of access to mental health services for individuals affected by COVID-19. They are implementing a policy review of existing laws which limit access to mental health services, a needs assessment, and story banking. This effort is working to provide greater evidence of the mental health impact of COVID-19 on the population and advocate for legal improvements to allow for greater access to mental health services for all Rwandans.
  • Zambia Coalition members are addressing low adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures such as handwashing, sanitizing, masking and social distancing, among users and operators of public transport in Lusaka. Partnering with local community-based organizations through a consortium, Lusaka Helps, and working directly with the Lusaka transit authority, the coalition is developing a training and training-of-trainers and sensitization and communications materials to train bus drivers and transit post staff at bus terminals to address the barriers to adherence among travelers from the capital to rural communities. They are also providing PPE materials including masks, thermometers, handwashing stations and disinfectants for drivers to protect transit workers and patrons from COVID-19.
  • The Malawi Coalition set out to address lack of adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols in their community. Following a human-centered design process to identify the most pressing issues, they conducted trainings at a local primary school and women's centers in the rural community of Bunda. During these workshops, they taught students, staff, and community members how to sew face masks and produce soap using locally available resources. Even as schools reopened in Malawi, many children were unable to return to school because they couldn't afford PPE required to attend.

We have adapted our program during this time of upheaval and implemented new policies and protocol to keep our staff, fellows, and alumni safe and support their, including:

Armed with an equity lens and a deep understanding of systems, GHC fellows and alumni are the leaders the world needs to recover from COVID-19 and meet future health crises with solidarity and strength. 

COVID-19 is far from over. Support GHC’s 1,100+ health equity leaders as they respond to the pandemic and strengthen health systems across East and Southern Africa, the U.S., and beyond.

Support rising health equity leaders

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We’ll send periodic updates from our leaders working on the frontlines of global health around the world and share opportunities to get involved in the movement. 

Global Health Corps is a leadership accelerator mobilizing a powerful network of health equity changemakers, 1200+ strong and growing. 

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