Executive Summary: Group Care is a health care model that combines individual medical check-ups with interactive learning and community support for antenatal and postnatal care. It has been shown to enhance satisfaction and overall outcomes for pregnant women and people, families, and young children. Global evidence for the impact of Group Care is growing. Despite this, implementation is confined to pilot projects rather than across entire systems for sustained long-term impact.
The Group Care for the First 1000 Days (GC_1000) project aimed to support scale-up and sustainability of the Group Care model by implementing antenatal and postnatal Group Care in health systems across seven countries, drawing on lessons learned from these diverse settings. The project demonstrated that by focusing on community and support, Group Care enhances women’s engagement, fosters proactive attitudes around topics important for families and children during the first 1000 days, and encourages community building and social support.
Through extensive global collaboration, the Group Care project has shown that trained and committed health care professionals are key to the successful adoption and sustainability of this model. With appropriate training and time to adapt, health care professionals become dedicated facilitators, enjoying and supporting this innovative model of care.