The George Institute for Global Health India, serving as the Secretariat of The Resilience Collaborative, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reach Digital Health NPC to advance global action on health worker resilience and wellbeing. The MoU was formalised at the Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF) 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya and marks a significant step in addressing the growing pressures on health systems worldwide.
With an estimated global shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, frontline workers continue to face cascading challenges from chronic stress and burnout to risks amplified by climate change, conflict, humanitarian crises, pandemics, and infrastructure gaps. This partnership aims to co-develop scalable solutions that strengthen resilience at multiple levels of the health system.
Through the new MoU, both organisations will:
· Identify and pursue joint funding opportunities to support vulnerable populations.
· Co-design digital and hybrid pilots to demonstrate real-world impact.
· Collaboratively monitor, evaluate, and build pathways to scale.
· Advance implementation research on health worker wellbeing, especially in contexts of polycrisis.
· Strengthen stakeholder engagement and disseminate knowledge through global forums, publications, and community-led learning.
· Build and expand long-term networks that institutionalise resilience and foster innovation across regions.
This collaboration holds strong relevance for India, where health systems face similar challenges of workforce shortages, climate-related pressures, and rising mental health burdens among frontline workers. The partnership’s focus on digital and hybrid resilience-building tools aligns closely with India’s national priorities under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and its broader push for technology-enabled, community-centered healthcare. By leveraging The George Institute’s deep presence in India and Reach Digital Health’s experience in large-scale mobile platforms, the MoU opens avenues for strengthening health worker wellbeing and preparedness across diverse and resource-constrained settings.
“We are excited to extend the partnership with Reach Digital as we collectively advance The Resilience Collaborative, a global community of practice dedicated to strengthening resilience among frontline health workers. By building evidenced based interventions leading to implementation, systematic learning and influence policies. This collaboration enables us to understand and proactively strengthen health workers with the much needed tools, agency, and supportive environments they need to thrive. We look forward to a purposeful collaboration that positively impacts the lives of frontline health workers years to come,” said Varadharajan Srinivasan, Programme Manager, The Resilience Collaborative, The George Institute for Global Health India.
Speaking at GDHF 2025, representatives from both organisations emphasised that embedding resilience into health systems is essential not only for workforce wellbeing but also for quality of care, crisis response, and sustainable health outcomes. The partnership will leverage technology, community ownership, and systems thinking to design equitable, climate-sensitive, and locally driven solutions.
“We are proud to partner with The George Institute as we collectively advance a global community of practice dedicated to strengthening resilience among frontline health workers. By building pathways for evidence-informed learning, practical implementation, and greater policy influence, this collaboration enables us to support health workers with the tools, agency, and environments they need to thrive. We look forward to a meaningful and impactful collaboration that strengthens The Resilience Collaborative for years to come,” said Debbie Rogers, CEO, Reach Digital Health.
As part of their shared vision, TGI and Reach Digital Health aim to support ministries, partners, and frontline workers to build a locally owned digital health ecosystem, one that strengthens agency, elevates lived experience, and champions long-term value for health systems globally.