Collaborations
Bridges works with diverse partners, including:
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Seattle, WA, US
- Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) – Abu Dhabi, UAE
- IS Global – Barcelona, Spain
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals – Beerse, Belgium
- Johns Hopkins University, International Vaccine Access Center – Baltimore, MD, US
- Maryhill and Rushanje Girls’ Schools – Mbarara, Uganda
- Mectizan Donation Program – Decatur, GA, USA
- Medicines Development for Global Health – Southbank VIC, Australia
- Merck Global Health – Darmstadt, Germany
- RBM Partnership to End Malaria – Geneva, Switzerland
- Sightsavers – Haywards Heath, UK
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility Program – Tokyo, Japan
- Task Force for Global Health – Decatur, GA, USA
- The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) – Geneva, Switzerland
- Tupigachi Rural Municipality – Ecuador
- The Wellcome Trust – London, UK
- The World Health Organization – Geneva, Switzerland
- Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council – Geneva, Switzerland
Example Projects
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The Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) Integration Group: FIG
2021-PresentIn early 2021, Bridges to Development and Frontline Aids initiated a discussion on Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) and the need to integrate it comprehensively within sexual and reproductive health, and community health policies, programs, and services. Since then, we engaged with several partners to raise FGS awareness, culminating in the emergence of a crosscutting, multisector group, the FGS Integration Group (FIG). FIG is an innovative coalition of organizations galvanizing joint action across the sectors of sexual and reproductive health and rights community, HIV, HPV/cervical cancer, neglected tropical disease and WASH to tackle the neglected issue of FGS, aiming to strengthen the public health response and universal access to healthcare for women and girls.
Female Genital Schistosomiasis or FGS is the most neglected sexual and reproductive health issue in sub-Sahara Africa. WHO estimates that as many as 56 million women and girls may be affected.
FGS mainly affects women and girls who are already marginalised, who lack access to safe clean water, good hygiene and sanitation facilities. If left untreated FGS leads to chronic inflammation, open lesions, and scarring of throughout the female genital tract and results in severe reproductive health complications including infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth. FGS is also associated with an increased vulnerability to HIV and HPV infection.
FGS is treatable and preventable, but it’s fallen through the cracks between the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) sectors.
You can read more about FIG on the Frontline Aids website here.
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Designing operational aspects of the world’s immunization strategy (Immunization Agenda 2030)
2020 - 2021Since Jan 2020, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust and USAID’s Momentum Country and Global Leadership, Bridges has been supporting the World Health Organization and its core immunization partners to finalize the Immunization Agenda 2030, the world’s immunization strategy for the coming decade, and put in place a broad consultative process to develop the operational tools needed to advance its implementation at country, regional and global levels.
Drawing on input across approximately 100 countries and diverse organizations, Bridges has helped partners align around operational approaches critical to ensure the international community can meet the ambitious 2030 targets.
Read more about IA2030 here.
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Pacific Integrated NTD Elimination (PINE) Project
2021 - PresentWith funding support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals over the next three years, Bridges is leading a collaboration with national neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs, the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Case Western University in Ohio, and the Kirby Institute in Australia to design integrated approaches for control and elimination of NTDs in hard-to-reach populations in remote islands of the Pacific.
The aim of the project is to eliminate three NTDs and control two more in the countries of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu with two rounds of interventions tailored to each country’s specific needs using and all-society approach.
Read more about NTDs in the Western Pacific here.
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Innovative training programs to detect and treat female genital schistosomiasis (FGS)
2020 – PresentBridges is working to develop and deliver FGS-specific training to health professionals at all levels of the health system as part of a holistic FGS package of care in Ghana and Madagascar with funding support from Grand Challenges Canada and the Government of Canada and match funding provided by the NTD Support Center, Merck Global Health Institute, the SCI Foundation, and WHO ESPEN.
To start this effort, Bridges planned and facilitated a workshop that brought together health professionals from many backgrounds and endemic countries to establish training competencies for FGS in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The final list of competencies will be the basis for the development of novel, online training packages targeted at health workers at all levels of the health system in endemic countries. Together with the Geneva Learning Foundation, Bridges will pilot in Ghana and Madagascar this innovative training platform as part of an integrated project FGS Accelerating Progress Together (FAST) package in partnership with Bruyère Research Institute and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Ghana.
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Strategy development for the RBM Partnership to End Malaria
2020Bridges tailored a broad consultative process to design a five-year strategy for the world’s largest multi-stakeholder platform of malaria partners. The partners coordinate an inclusive, multi-sectoral response to control, eliminate and ultimately eradicate malaria.
The Board-approved Strategic Plan aligns investments by partners at the global, regional, national and sub-national levels towards ending malaria and contributing to achieving universal health coverage, global health security, and reducing poverty and inequalities.
Read more about the RBM Partnership to End Malaria here.