Global Capacity Building Programme
The Global Capacity Building (GCB) Grant Programme was a three‑year, £1.8 million initiative funded by NHS England and delivered by Global Health Partnerships (GHP) across Uganda, Zambia and South Africa . The programme was designed to foster equitable, Health Partnership (HP) based collaboration between UK institutions and counterparts in Global Partner countries, while enabling bidirectional learning, professional development, and health system strengthening across contexts.
The programme overview
Funded by NHS England, the Global Capacity Building Programme was established to facilitate trans-national knowledge, skills and experience exchanges through the Health Partnership model between NHS institutions in England and health organisations in Africa.
The programme aims were to:
- Facilitate global learning opportunities between NHS partners with LMIC partners.
- Provide specialist international development expertise which complements NHS technical knowledge.
- Expedite the positive impact of NHS global programmes.
With collaboration between the NHS and health systems in South Africa, Uganda and Zambia, the programme aimed to enhance the patient care, improve health outcomes, and reduce health inequalities.
The programme also leveraged the expertise of health institutions in England and the partner countries, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and bi-directional learning.
As a long-standing and trusted partner of the UK Government and NHS England, GHP worked closely with Ministry of Health officials from each partner country to ensure the programme responded to national priorities and engaged key stakeholders throughout the process.
As part of the Global Capacity Building Programme, GHP also facilitated several events and workshops engaging a wide range of NHS staff and health workers in partner countries to participate. Resources were shared to ensure that the volunteers’ professional development and wellbeing was at the heart of this programme.
Global Capacity Building impact summary
GHP is thrilled to have awarded 24 grants in 4 countries (Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Ukraine) through the Global Capacity Building Programme (GCB).
Funded by NHS England, the grants comprised of 7 large grants of £50,000 each, 11 small grants of £10,000 each, and 6 SCALE grants of up to £20,000 each, with a combined value of £580,000.
GCB focussed on:
- Workforce development
- Clinical service improvement
- Long-term, locally owned change
“This is not one-way aid. It is co-created change that strengthens health systems on both sides.” – Ben Simms, CEO, Global Health Partnerships
- 3,284 health workers trained
- 210 NHS Health Workers Supporting projects
- 96% increase in NHS health worker wellbeing
Value for Money
- High return on investment: Strong value for money demonstrated, combining measurable outputs with broader system-level efficiencies.
- Significant leverage of funding: £580k in grants unlocked an additional £353k in in‑kind contribution, with hybrid delivery models further reducing costs and expanding reach.
- High-impact outcomes with modest investment: The programme delivered large-scale workforce development and health system strengthening at relatively low cost, demonstrating the efficiency of the partnership model.
Every £1 of GCB grant funding leveraged an additional 60p in NHS in‑kind contribution.
Stronger, More Motivated Health Workforces
- NHS staff gained leadership, resilience and problem-solving skills, alongside renewed motivation and wellbeing.
- Partner-country health workers developed skills, confidence and leadership, strengthening local capacity and ownership.
- Gains extended beyond individuals, likely contributing to team performance, retention, and system resilience across both contexts.
Tangible improvements in patient outcomes and clinical services
- The programme contributed to measurable, life-saving improvements, including reduced neonatal sepsis, faster trauma care, and new specialist services (e.g. cardiac MRI).
- Impact went beyond training to embedded changes in clinical behaviour, protocols and everyday practice, contributing to sustained improvements in quality of care.
- It demonstrated that partnership-based approaches can translate directly into better patient outcomes at scale.
Sustainable system strengthening driven by partnerships
- The programme achieved system-level change through embedded training, updated curricula, stronger governance, and national alignment.
- Impact was sustained by long-term partnerships, local leadership, and co-designed solutions, rather than one-off interventions.
- Delivered exceptional value for money, with small, catalytic investments unlocking disproportionate and lasting impact.
GCB Keys to success
- Partnerships, not projects
- Co-designed solutions, not externally imposed
- Behaviour change and systems, not just training
- Local ownership and leadership, not dependency
- Small, catalytic funding, not large top-down investment
The integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approaches strengthened the relevance, quality and fairness of GCB training, ensuring programme benefits were accessible across gender and social groups and driving inclusive practice change at facility level.
Case Studies
Reducing Neonatal Sepsis in Western Uganda
An 18‑month partnership between Knowledge for Change and Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital trained 210 health workers and introduced standardised neonatal care protocols, contributing to a 29% reduction in neonatal sepsis morbidity. The initiative strengthened teamwork and clinical confidence while embedding lasting improvements in newborn care practices.
Scaling NCD Multimorbidity Training in Kampala
Teesside University ↔ Makerere Lung Institute
With only £10,000, partners trained 300+ frontline health workers in recognising and managing NCD multimorbidity, supported by a hybrid training model that attracted over 900 registrants. The project produced practical tools and a framework now used beyond its initial geographic scope. It highlights the catalytic power of small grants to generate widespread skills development, contribute to national priorities, and deliver scalable, high‑value learning opportunities for both countries.
The full impact report can be found here
