Building Partnerships in Global Health: How Vitala Creates Change Through Collaboration

By Roxana Vivas, Venezuela Country Lead – Vitala Global

Lina López, Partnerships Coordinator for Latin America – Women First Digital

In a world where social challenges are increasingly complex and dynamic, civil society organizations (CSOs) have learned that joining forces doesn’t just add impact — it multiplies it.

Partnerships enable us to:

• Maximize resources.

• Reach new audiences.

• Strengthen legitimacy.

• Support communities more effectively.

• Create new knowledge products.

But what types of partnerships exist, and how do they work in practice?

Cross-sector partnerships in global health

These partnerships bring together different sectors — corporate, government, or academic.

Example: An NGO focused on sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) may partner with a university to conduct joint research or develop new educational resources. Vitala has partnered with universities to deliver SRHR workshops to students, expanding knowledge while building trust.

Benefits include:

• Access to new knowledge.

• Increased visibility.

• Opportunities for funding.

Thematic networks and NGO collaborations

These are alliances between organizations working on the same cause or sharing strategies, resources, and experiences.

Example: Women First Digital and Vitala Global, two organizations using technology to expand access to sexual and reproductive health information, have developed a partnership that amplifies visibility and co-creates knowledge — including this blog.

The key: mutual trust and shared goals.

Partnerships with grassroots and local organizations

Local partnerships are formed between actors in the same geographic area — rural collectives, grassroots movements, and community-based organizations. Their strength lies in responding directly to the community’s needs with context-specific knowledge.

Example: Servyr, an organization working in rural areas of Venezuela on family planning, partnered with us to introduce Aya Contigo to populations who needed it most.

Impact: These partnerships foster a sense of belonging, strengthen coordination, and ensure relevance.

Collaborations with media organizations

Though less common, media collaborations are powerful tools to:

• Share stories.

• Raise awareness.

• Mobilize support.

• Disseminate knowledge products.

  
  

Example: The partnership between Women First Digital and Vitala Global to publish a practical guide on how to use abortion pills safely in digital environments. This collaboration expanded outreach and created tools that serve both individuals and organizations.

The challenges and the transformative potential

Building alliances is not without challenges: coordination, cultural differences, or unequal power dynamics.

But when partnerships are rooted in trust and clear objectives, their transformative potential is enormous. Together, we can scale impact, strengthen communities, and advance global health and sexual and reproductive rights.

At Vitala Global, partnerships are at the heart of our mission.

🌐 Learn more about our work by exploring our 2024 Impact Report.

📲 Discover how collaboration supports access to SRHR through Aya Contigo.

🤝 If you are a donor, partner, or ally interested in building partnerships in global health, connect with us today to create impact together at admin@vitalaglobal.org