Community-Led Health: Scaling Workers, Innovation, and Resilience
Community health is the foundation of resilient systems — yet it remains chronically underfunded and undervalued. Professional community health workers (CHWs) who are salaried, skilled, supervised, and supplied can deliver lifesaving services, but programs struggle to scale amid financial austerity. At the same time, proven health innovations often fail to reach the communities who need them most due to systemic barriers.
This session will explore how to strengthen and scale community-led health systems by mobilizing domestic resources, bridging climate and health agendas, and investing in prevention through outreach and immunization. Together, we’ll ask: what would it take to ensure community-led health is no longer the weakest link, but the strongest foundation of health systems worldwide?
Speakers
Ash Rogers — Co-CEO with experience leading organizations at the intersection of global health and social impact.
Carey Westgate — COO at Community Health Impact Coalition, leading strategy, operations, and organizational development to professionalize community health workers worldwide.
Dillon Mann — Chief Communications and Advocacy Officer with expertise in global health communications and advocacy.
Melanie Joiner — Senior Director of Partnership at Integrate Health with experience building strategic partnerships and managing health programs in West Africa.
Anushree Banerji — Senior Manager of Strategy & Partnerships at Grand Challenges Canada, advancing global health and development innovation.
Carmen Rosa Vilela Vargas — President of the Lima-Callao Health Promoter Network and longtime community health worker advocating for CHW rights and recognition across Peru.
What to Expect
Center CHWs – Discuss strategies to scale and sustain professionalized CHW programs.
Bridge agendas – Explore the shared work of climate resilience and community health.
Prioritize prevention – Highlight the role of outreach, immunization, and community engagement in reducing long-term costs and risks.
Unlock innovation – Examine barriers preventing market-validated healthcare solutions from reaching scale in vulnerable communities.
Why Join?
Reimagine community-led health as central to resilience and equity.
Learn from peers tackling scale, financing, and innovation challenges.
Share experiences from the frontlines of health and climate integration.
Walk away with strategies for mobilizing resources and strengthening prevention.
Who Should Attend?
Health leaders and practitioners scaling CHW programs.
Funders and policymakers focused on health systems and climate resilience.
Innovators working to expand access to proven healthcare solutions.
Anyone committed to advancing prevention and equity through community-led health.