Programme contribution for EdM-SM Alliance 2023-2024

The intervention countries of the EdM-SM Alliance, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, are fragile states with insufficient resources, affected by climate change and protracted crises, and are confronted with a double burden: i) the “unfinished agenda” of access to quality maternal, child, reproductive health and infectious disease prevention and treatment and ii) new challenges such as non-communicable diseases, emerging diseases or adolescent reproductive and sexual health. Access to basic education has improved but education remains inaccessible for more than 70 million children. Often, the quality of education is low; children leave school without having acquired most basic competencies (reading, writing, arithmetic).

The gender-determinants of education and health are of concern. Around 130 million girls (age of 6-17) are out of school, teenage pregnancies and child marriage are critical challenges, with consequences on: i) school dropout rates, ii) education and health of their children, iii) their ability to earn a living, iv) maternal mortality.

The Covid-19 pandemic affected and affects health and education services severely. Whereas both Alliance members have responded to calls for emergency support, both organizations now support their national counterparts to make health and education systems more resilient, more accessible and of better service quality.

Children, adults, families and communities benefit from quality education's development potential and reach their fullest health potential according to their rights and aspirations.

By sharing their expertise and innovation in education, health, community mobilisation, the alliance can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency through joint thematic backstopping, programmatic mentoring, resource pooling and harmonization of best practices in programmes. Joint programming will allow reduction of transaction costs and foster joint learning.

In health, 135’338 women were assisted by qualified clinicians during childbirth. 1’903’951 children, women and men saw their health status improved through acute or chronic care consultations for conditions such as malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis or HIV. EdM and SolidarMed contributed to improve the care provided in 350 health facilities in 10 countries and built the capacities of 3’254 health providers such as doctors, clinicians, nurses, or midwives. 8 innovations, such as the mobile application “Mon bébé et moi” are currently integrated in national health systems. 939’498 people in intervention countries were involved in initiatives to improve their health and benefited from theimprovement of care, 965'000 were supported by trained community representatives and health workers, and 604'334 were reached through health education sessions.

In education, 89,891 children, including 44,906 girls, were able to access quality basic education in 681 educational structures. 2,242 education personnel have been trained.
The pedagogical environment in schools has been enriched with 28 teaching materials. These efforts contributed to an improvement in the quality of teaching/learning processes. In Guatemala, interesting prospects for influence beyond target regions are materializing, confirming the authorities' confidence in our pedagogic propositions.

Our Alliance raised awareness of the public and relevant actors both in Switzerland and in countries of intervention on priority themes such as primary healthcare, child and women’s rights and intercultural education. 756’784 persons in Switzerland and 2'541 abroad were reached through training, sensitization initiatives, campaigning and events.The Alliance also generated and shared knowledge through publications and knowledge transfer with Swiss Universities and competence centres such as EPFL or Swiss-TPH.

Strengthening civil society through capacity building and training. Process leading to stronger analysis, documentation and sharing of partnership started in 2022.

The Alliance embraces National ownership through five pillars of action: initial dialogue with public authorities to define area and scope of intervention, alignment of programs in national policies, use of public monitoring systems, mutual accountability and scaling up of relevant pilot experiences when possible. Our Alliance actively participated in SDCs learning journey.

Established PSEAH tools have been strengthened, compliance mechanisms validated, field staff and partners mostly trained. Peer-learning process about optimizing the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment have been put in place.

Synergies between community health and basic education have been strengthened through provision of pedagogical expertise to renovate health education approaches towards a learner-centered active pedagogy.

• Improved National Health Systems provide health care of better quality and coverage
• Vulnerable populations have improved capacities to stay healthy and their access to care is improved
• The quality of education is improved, with a focus on basic education
• Pedagogical improvements are institutionalised and/or scaled up by the national education system

Knowledge and awareness of the public and of relevant actors in Switzerland and in the countries of intervention on Alliance priority themes and SDGs are raised.
(These interventions form a coherent programme targeting children both in the intervention countries and in Switzerland through common pedagogical tools, fostering south-north exchanges, and offering common advocacy platforms.)

• Alliance strengthens civil society and country ownership in accordance with the provisions of the “OECD-DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society” and the relevant “GPEDC principles”
• Enhanced gender equality: Transformation of unequal gender relations, including PSEAH, among local partner organisations and citizens / beneficiaries with whom they work
• Good practices of synergies in basic education and community health are systematised and shared with respective NGO and SDC networks

Phase 2 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2024   (Completed)