This chapter explores philanthropic partnership best practices in the post-COVID-19 world and provides insights and practical tools to identify and effectively advocate for partnerships. Historically, the philanthropic sector in the Global South has been largely siloed, with only a few foundations working together and even fewer engaged in multi-sectoral collaborations. In the case of public-private partnerships, one often hears sentiments like ‘governments are bureaucratic and they will slow us down’ or ‘businesses don’t really care about social impact projects’. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed that such silos created many of the systemic issues philanthropic foundations now face. The COVID-19 crisis will have a profound impact on philanthropy through forging more active collaboration and ensuring more equitable responses. As multiple sector experts have pointed out, the scale and the urgency of the pandemic have prompted philanthropists to engage in more active collaboration, not only with businesses and government but also with each other. This chapter shares the key elements of a successful partnership from coordinated planning to clear identification of the problem that needs to be solved. It shares ideas around the collaborative definition of success, how to measure social-impact performance, and how to align interests, values, and goals. The chapter argues that there is a critical need for clear roles and responsibilities such that each stakeholder’s strengths can be leveraged, and it emphasises the importance of transparency and continuous communication.

Good health is essential to ensure well-being for individuals, society and nations. However, health is determined by a multitude of factors, and hence achieving the targets set for SDG3 would inevitably require equitable progress in other related SDGs. The health systems in many low-and middle-income countries (L&MICs) have been unable to cope with the needs of the population due to lack of health care workers, financial resources, supplies, monitoring and evaluation. Health systems research can help identify existing gaps and challenges and propose customised solutions based on country needs. A preferred approach to move forward would be an inclusive and multi-sectoral approach with the implementation modalities adapted to the local context. In order to assess the implementation and progress of health-related SDGs targets in L&MICs, a framework comprising of nine domains is proposed which represent political, technical and institutional conditions. A greater political commitment with a focus on reducing inequities and greater accountability would be of paramount importance for any real progress and materialization of SDG targets.