Spark Health: building leadership capacity to create resilient health systems

Public sector health systems have the power to drive transformation through innovative solutions that generate robust, impactful health care services. In recognition of this potential, Johnson & Johnson established Spark Health (previously known as the Partnership for Management Development), to strengthen health systems and accelerate the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV health outcomes in Africa. This is accomplished by leveraging existing resources, both human and financial, and igniting the power of public sector workers to drive their own systems change.
Johnson & Johnson partners with the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town, Ministries of Health in African countries, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Born Free, local NGOS, USAID, and others to support efforts in Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In Malawi, for example, Spark Health partnered with the Ministry of Health to train and mentor 67 district staff across an area home to half of Malawi’s population.
Addressing the unique challenges of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Johnson & Johnson supports Spark Health to apply and adapt its model in local contexts in order to drive measurable health system changes, including improved coordination and accountability between district health teams and local NGOs, increased early antenatal care among pregnant women, and decreases in stock-outs of medicines and supplies.