GC_1000 NEWS

“So what we see is that during group care, the women developing a, how do you say, a motherhood or a sisterhood. That people are not alone anymore, but they are together. They support each other.”


- Group Care facilitator, midwife

Thank you for joining our conference!


On the 17th and 18th of November we celebrated group care worldwide, in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands. We learned so much from all of your projects, your experiences and your feedback. Thank you and hopefully see you again next time!

20-01-2022

GC_1000 General Assembly 2022

Due to Covid-19 the GC_1000 annual General Assembly meeting took place online on January 18-20 2022.  The meeting was attended by all ten organisations. We are impressed that the consortium managed to perform most of the trainings, with all the limitations due to COVID-19. We hope we can continue with our GC_1000 project as intended and be able to improve antenatal care and postnatal care in seven countries over the coming two years!

28-12-2021

GC_1000 brochure now available!

The brochure for stakeholders about the GC_1000 project explains what group care for the first 1000 days is about. Click on the image below to download the PDF version of the brochure.


Feel free to share the brochure with anyone who might be interested in group care for the first 1000 days!

22-9-2021

GC_1000 animation now available!

The animation about the GC_1000 project premieres on september 23rd on our Youtube channel! It's a great teaser on what group care for the first 1000 days is about. Feel free to share the animation with anyone who might be interested in group care for the first 1000 days!

1-4-2021

First GC_1000 External Advisory Board meeting

On April 1st GC_1000 had the first External Advisory Board meeting. The External Advisory Board consist of:


Mastoera Sadan

Franka Cadée

Petra ten Hoope-Bender

Charles Agyemang

Laura Damschroder



These amazing people will guide our project with their knowledge, expertise and network. We are sure we will learn a lot! 

30-3-2021

Virtual learning modules developed by Group Care Global and CAI Global

In 2020, Group Care Global (GCG), together with partners in seven countries, launched GC_1000. GCG's main role in GC_1000 is to lead Work Package 4 (WP4) to guide and support timely implementation and sustaining of specific group care protocols (antenatal, postnatal+) in demonstration sites in seven countries. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, GCG knew that the only way to have consistent global reach would be to use virtual learning as one core way to provide initial orientation to the group care model. With the pandemic, virtual platforms have become a standard way for people to meet, learn, and interact. Our work in GC_1000 is no different. 


To develop the virtual modules, GCG partnered with CAI Global, a diverse, mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care and social services delivered to marginalized populations worldwide. The modules are linked with GCG's Site Implementation Guide and serve as a partner's first step towards model

implementation. GCG Consultants partner with country lead and health care sites to then offer training and ongoing support to site staff so that implementation proceeds smoothly.  GCG and CAI developed 12 interactive online learning modules, The learning modules and accompanying training videos are designed to meet the needs of learners around the world as they implement Centering-based group care in their communities and to help local partners assess their readiness, potential challenges, and assets for their model implementation. Site staff and GCG consultant experiences will help to further refine the modules, providing site-level feedback about the appropriateness, usefulness, and applicability of the information and formats for diverse sites around the world. 


Future plans include a robust evaluation of the modules’ effectiveness and level of user engagement, and enhanced elements such as translation, country-specific graphics, and accessibility features.



Please find below the instructions for creating an account to access the Group Care Implementation Modules (12). 

  

STEP 1: go to the MODULE HOME PAGE

STEP 2: Click, Create new account

STEP 3: Type in all information marked with an exclamation point in a red circle


Note: Please include your country, even if that is not a mandatory field (we will change the system so it will be mandatory. If not based in the United States, please indicate "Other" in the box marked "State"


22-3-2021

GC_1000 social media now available! Let's connect!

We now have all of our social media accounts set up.


Connect with us and share your group care stories and pictures!


Do you have any suggestions for us? Let us know though a DM or e-mail us at info@groupcare1000.com



23-2-2021

GHANA-HIGHLIGHTS OUR MAIDEN NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

The Ghanaian National Steering Committee members have been very receptive of the project and provided very good suggestions and feedback during our maiden meeting held on the 23rd February 2021.


We received the following suggestions from NSC:

  1. The project should identify the role each cadre of staff plays to avoid conflict in the future and aid in the smooth implementation and scale-up. If roles are not assigned properly there will be sabotaged and frictions. e.g. when the check2gether is introduced and the women don’t patronize the services of the laboratory technicians this will bring about conflicts. He therefore advised that the project should consider all such impending issues.
  2. The committee proposed that the mothers themselves should be made to decide the groupings themselves from experience they tend to more comfortable and participatory if they are made to decide on the grouping themselves.
  3. Group care is best in low risk pregnancy. These risk pregnancies should be taken into consideration not to be merged them in the group care such as women with sickle cell and cardiovascular issues. There should be a pathway to identify such women to refer them to the Hospital. It was therefore decided that the first point of reporting should be at the hospital to know their conditions. This should be one of the criteria before allowing women to be part for the group to identify all risk pregnancies.
  4. The formation of the groups must make available some cadre of staff to support strengthen the group eg
    • Obstetricians
    • Pharmacist
    • Gynecologists
  5. The socio-cultural aspects of the settings should be taken into consideration as decision making is not usually the sole prerogative of the women but also involves the entire family. The committee proposed that in the preparation of the questionnaires, it should cover some cultural question to help educate them.



Dissemination and information Feedback from stakeholders and Next steps


  1. Creation of Group Google emails / WhatsApp group to disseminate information
  2. The committee selected the Chairperson of the National Steering committee – Mr. Sam Sarpong Appiah and the Vice Chairperson, Madam Grace Dankwah – Nursing and Midwifery Council Ghana


Closing Remarks


Mrs. Teiko Sarba  gave the closing remarks. She encouraged all members to come together to make the goals set achievable and provide the requisite guidance for a possible scale up of group care in the future.

General Assembly meeting (January 20 & 21 2021)

Due to Covid-19 the GC_1000 annual General Assembly meeting took place online on January 20 & 21 2021.  31 people attended the meeting from all ten organisations. We are impressed that our partners continue to perform their tasks, with all the limitations of our current societies. We hope we can continue with our GC_1000 project as intended and be able to improve antenatal care and postnatal care in seven countries over the coming years!

GC_1000 was mentioned in a presentation at the Yale-based Health Innovation Conference,  2020 Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference (April 4-5, 2020),  Sharon Schindler Rising presented "Group Care for the First 1000 Days: The Case for Better Outcomes," To access the presentation and all presentations, please click here and the system will send a password: https://slate.uniteforsight.org/register/?id=caafa1c9-283c-4547-a683-a6b4e8d2373d

Executive Board meeting (September 22-24 2020)

Due to Covid-19 the GC_1000 annual Executive Board meeting took place online on September 22-24 2020.  We had three days of intensive and interactive presentations and discussions. We learned a lot about the phases of the project and what we need in the coming months. 34 people attended the meeting from all ten organisations. We are thankful that we have the technology during this crisis to continue our work to improve healthcare for pregnant women and parents!

Presentation at 2020 Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference (April 4-5, 2020)

GC_1000 Kick-off meeting

The GC_1000 project held its first consortium meeting involving all the partners in Leiden, the Netherlands on 19-21 February 2020. A total of 33 participants from all the 10 institutions attended the meeting


Partners were asked to present on themselves, their interest and role in project, as well as the current status of implementing group care in their country. Sharon Rising presented the group care model. All work package leaders presented their workpackages. 


The next meeting will be held in Pristina, Kosovo in September 2020.