This report by Craig et al., (2018) offers practical guidance on how to consider contextual factors when designing or evaluating public health interventions.
Starter kit: Co-creation in Global Health
Introduction
Welcome to this open access starter kit on co-creating health research and interventions in low-resource settings. This simple online resource brings together short videos and a curated library of practical tools to help you understand why co-creation matters, what it looks like in practice, and how to facilitate a co-creation process effectively.
What is this resource for?
This starter kit is designed to help new co-creators get started. It offers practical guidance and real examples to help you decide whether co-creation is right for your work and how to plan a co-creation process in a global health context.
Who is this for?
This is especially made for researchers, health practitioners, and decision-makers who are interested in exploring or implementing co-creation in global health, especially in settings where resources, time, or infrastructure may be limited.
How was this prepared?
This was developed through a collaborative and iterative process. A core team of researchers with hands-on experience in co-creation projects in East Africa led the development, drawing on feedback from a global user panel of 24 researchers from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
PART 1: Why is co-creation important in global health
In this section, we share real-world examples and empirical evidence showing how co-creation can meaningfully improve health interventions. We use the experiences and evaluation results of the PartoMa project (from pilot to scale-up) as a use case.
What you will find in this video
 |
The problem of waterfall implementation |
 |
Experience and evidence from the PartoMa project |
Recommended readings
PART 2: What is co-creation in global health
In this section, we briefly introduce a clear and practical definition of co-creation in the global health context. We also offer a simple decision tree if you are deciding whether to fully co-create or not.
What you will find in this video
|
|
Practical definition of co-creation in global health |
|
To co-create or not: Decision tree |
Recommended readings
PART 3: How do we do co-creation in global health?
This section offers guidance on how to plan a co-creation process, including key decisions, practical steps, and considerations to keep in mind as you design your approach. Here, we present a guideline tested by the Mosquito-Borne Disease-Free Hospital (MBD-Free) project in Zanzibar as a use case.
What you will find in this video
|
|
Setting the stage |
 |
Co-creation methods |
|
Stakeholder mapping |
 |
Implementation |
 |
Needs Assessment |
 |
Evaluation and reporting |
 |
Recruitment | ||
Recommended tools and templates
PART 4: Tips on facilitating co-creation
This section offers practical guidance from researchers who have facilitated co-creation in diverse settings. We address common challenges including navigating power dynamics and sharing strategies for creating safe, inclusive spaces where all voices can contribute.
What you will find in this video
|
|
What makes a good facilitator |
|
Managing power dynamics and ownership |
|
Setting the stage for collaboration |
|
Adaptive and inclusive facilitation |
|
Relational and communication skills |
|
Facilitating evaluation and reporting |
For this part, take out your pen and paper and capture as much tips as you can:
Reddit: Join the conversation on co-creation in global health
Share your experience and insights on co-creating in low- and middle-income settings. What worked? What was challenging? What tools, tips, or resources can others learn from? Add your voice to our Reddit community and help strengthen co-creation practice in the global health contexts.
Starter kit core team:
- Dan Meyrowitsch, Project lead
- Nanna Maaløe, PartoMa content lead
- Karin Schiøler, MBD-Free content lead
- Haika Osaki, Co-creation content expert
- Natasha Housseine, Co-creation content expert
- Morten Skovdal, Co-creation content expert
- Danielle Agnello, Co-creation content expert
- Joyce Anne Quinto, Science communication specialist
- Sara Higuera Duran, Reddit forum manager
Special thanks to:
- Albert Bomani, Videographer and photographer (MBD-Free and PartoMa 2025)
- Lara Meguid, Videographer and photographer (PartoMa media archive)
- The Coffee Creatives, Illustrations and animations
- Karla Mae Ujano, Animator
- Danielle Kathryna Rayos, Illustrator
- Khaby Amiel Manahan, Illustrator
- Jacqueline Gonzales, Admin officer
Early prototypes were created in summer 2025 and shared in an online feedback session. The Global User Panel members provided input on priority topics, real-world use cases, and preferred learning formats, which were reviewed and integrated into the design of the starter kit. Selected panel members were also consulted and interviewed for the films
- Akinjiola Opeyemi
- Amani Kikula
- Beatrice Sumari
- Catherine Kakolo Mongella
- Daniel Nkungu
- Ebuka Miracle Anieto
- Eliza Lupenza
- Fadhlun M. Alwy Al-Beity
- Farduus Mohamed
- Fiona Haustedt Mossman
- Habtamu Bekele Ejigu
- Jana Deborah Mier-Alpaño
- Joseph Rogathe Mwanga
- Khelifi Lamiss
- Manuela Orjuela-Grimm
- Maria de los Angeles Lazo Porras
- M. Thomas Kishore
- Naomi Carrard
- Odinaka Kingsley Obeta
- Omotuyi Mebawondu-Olowu
- Oritseweyinmi Erikowa-Orighoye
- Otis Sloan Wood
- Shreelata Rao Seshadri
- Subhojit Banerjee
- Victor Chikwala
Contact:
Dan Wolf Meyrowitsch
Professor, University of Copenhagen
dame@sund.ku.dk
Joyce Anne Quinto
Project and communications manager,
University of Copenhagen
joyce.quinto@sund.ku.dk
Acknowledgement:
This open-access resource on co-creation in
global health has been funded by:
