What works in global health partnerships? Reflections on a Nigerian-German project collaboration

Abstract Background Global health partnerships for project implementation is a frequent way to address health challenges. Bringing stakeholders from different disciplines, professions, settings and countries together provides opportunity to look at health challenges from different perspectives, develop suitable ideas to tackle them and leverage diverse capacities. Problem In such diverse partnerships, cultural norms, practical realities and institutional practices create challenges for the development of good and equitable relationships. Methods In our project collaboration between the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the German Robert Koch Institute on developing and implementing trainings in infection prevention and control, we demonstrated how a partnership can function. The collaboration followed a participatory approach and was informed by the following principles: - Plan, revise, adapt and implement all project activities as well as its contents participatorily; - A well-coordinated teamwork is key to facilitate operational performance; - Consider everyone as expert in its own domain of influence; - Constant and inclusive communication: maintaining transparency on all aspects and steps both in contents and organization and applying non-violent communication and active listening; - Provide space for reflection on roles and functions and for open discussion on needs and misunderstandings; - Appreciate team work as constantly evolving process of interaction and learning. Results We built a strong resilient team and could leverage team diversity to deliver on project objectives with exceptional quality, adaptability in a highly complex and frequently changing implementation setting. Lessons Working across cultures, disciplines, professions and countries means to develop a joint communication language and an understanding of the other. It is challenging and dynamic, requires additional space/time and attention, but offers personal growth and self-realization. Key messages • Using a participatory approach in teams can leverage team diversity to deliver on project objectives and bring about a high professional and personal self-realization. • There are concrete implementable ways of teamwork in international interdisciplinary global health collaborations that enhance quality of results in complex implementation settings.