Health System Strengthening

Our principle of working in close partnership with communities and national governments shapes our approach to health systems strengthening (HSS). We prioritize capacity building, collaboration, learning, and adaptation to support strategic, scalable solutions. Our work intentionally integrates crosscutting priorities, including gender equality and social inclusion, into every step of the process.

World Vision’s HSS strategy emphasizes district- and community-level approaches and focuses on:

• Strengthening priority health system components critical to the effective delivery of health programs.
• Promoting integration across health programs by aligning planning, programming, and service delivery.
• Building the capacity of health systems to scale up integrated service delivery platforms that improve the quality, equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of services — particularly in hard-to-reach areas and for key affected and underserved populations.
• Upgrading laboratory facilities to meet standards for diagnostic accuracy and reliability. In Haiti and Papua New Guinea, we supported government procurement of AI-enabled portable digital x-ray machines and trained lab staff in the use of new and existing diagnostic technologies. Quality control systems are also implemented to ensure high standards and accurate test results.
• Strengthening management and leadership across all levels of the health system, with a focus on districts and communities — this includes support for procurement and supply chains, integrated health information systems, human resources, supervision, and financial management.
• Supporting the engagement of community and civil society actors, including community health workers and the private sector, in strengthening and delivering health programs.
• Addressing gender inequality and human rights issues through relevant legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks.

Our HSS projects aim to build service capacity across all levels of the health system — national and subnational — to ensure communities have access to quality health services. We align our efforts with local Ministries of Health and their National Health Sector Strategic Plans, contributing to all six pillars of a functional health system:

• Leadership and governance
• Service delivery
• Health system financing
• Health workforce
• Health information systems
• Medical products, vaccines, and technologies

We train healthcare providers in standard health services, supply/inventory management, correct use of medicines and medical equipment, on-the-job mentoring of trained healthcare providers, and development of quality healthcare through supportive supervision, as part of district health management teams’ strategies. Our approach aims to improve the quality and accessibility of services, focusing on priority interventions to reduce mortality and morbidity. World Vision’s interventions and technical assistance engage communities to advocate for and contribute to the development and implementation of an essential health package centered around community‐based approaches and integrating essential services to reach all members of the community, especially women and other marginalized populations.

World Vision uses proven methodologies for engaging communities to give feedback and improve quality and accessibility of services. These include:

• Citizen Voice and Action empowers communities to understand and claim their right to health services, while fostering collaboration between the national government and the local government, and between the local government and communities to ensure accountability and ongoing improvement.
• Channels of Hope is an interactive process that equips faith leaders, their spouses, and faith communities to engage on difficult health topics by combining scientific evidence with spiritual insights. This approach creates a powerful platform for social and behavior change on some of the most difficult health issues in their communities.
• Integrated community case management (iCCM) trains and supports community health workers to diagnose and treat common childhood illnesses—pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria—close to home for families with limited access to facilities.
• Community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) helps communities identify and treat acute malnutrition and wasting through targeted programs and mHealth tools that enhance treatment and monitoring.
• Community health committees are strengthened to improve coordination, influence policy, and support the work of community health workers. These efforts build resilient, community-rooted health systems and lead to better health outcomes.

Through our Global Fund grants, World Vision implements a wide range of health systems strengthening and resilient and sustainable systems for health interventions. In addition to addressing the three diseases targeted by the Global Fund — HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria — our efforts focus on building sustainable systems. We do this by enhancing community health service delivery, strengthening health information systems, and ensuring efficient supply chain and product management. These interventions promote equity and access and contribute to the broader goal of achieving universal health coverage.

Health management information systems and monitoring & evaluation (M&E)
World Vision has supported the development and enhancement of health information systems in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Central African Republic (CAR), Haiti, Nicaragua, and Somalia. This includes establishing robust M&E frameworks and digital tools that enable timely and accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting across all levels of the health system.

In Somalia, we supported the revision of community data collection tools used by female health workers (FHWs), improving reporting on community-based activities. We also supported the rollout of DHIS2 and the shift from paper-based to digital reporting. To ensure sustainability, we trained health workers and administrators in the use of health information systems and M&E tools—promoting a culture of data-driven decision-making.

Health product management systems
World Vision supports efficient health supply chains by building capacity and partnering to help ensure timely and efficient distribution In PNG and CAR, we helped implement inventory management systems and supported warehousing and distribution efforts of health products. These efforts help track usage, reduce stockouts, and ensure that essential supplies are available when and where they’re needed.

Integrated service delivery and human resources for health
To support integrated service delivery, World Vision strengthens care delivery mechanisms across clinics and networks of care. In Somalia, we scaled up 59 tuberculosis basic management units to provide a broader range of primary health-care services. We also invest in the health workforce. This includes training health workers, particularly community health workers, to strengthen their technical capacity, improve quality of care, and ensure continuity of services at the community level.