Clinton Health Access Initiative

02/05/2026

Dr. Neil Buddy Shah's Devex Power 50 recognition puts him alongside an incredible group of leaders reshaping global development. 🌍

From President John Mahama championing the "Accra Reset" for health sovereignty, to Nigeria's Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate driving local manufacturing, to tech innovators like Zipline's Keller Rinaudo Cliffton revolutionizing delivery systems — these are people, organizations, and governments accelerating real change.

At a moment when traditional aid models are shifting, these leaders are building the infrastructure, policy frameworks, and financing that will define the next era of global health.

Proud to work alongside this community as we collectively reimagine what's possible. ✨

02/03/2026

We're proud to share that our CEO, Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, has been named to the Devex Power 50.

Devex recognizes Buddy for helping lead a shift in global health—treating historic aid cuts not as an endpoint, but as a catalyst to redesign how health systems are financed, supplied, and sustained.

That work builds on CHAI's long history of market shaping: lowering drug prices, strengthening supply chains, supporting local manufacturing, and working alongside governments to build durable, country-led health systems. Through his role as chair of Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust, Buddy is also working to ensure that frontier AI technologies tackle the most important health challenges in low- and middle-income countries.

This recognition reflects the collective work of teams across CHAI and our partners around the world who continue to push the sector forward.

Congratulations, Buddy— and thank you Team CHAI.

https://ow.ly/Bkmi50Y8a07

01/28/2026

Immunization has prevented 154 million deaths over the last 50 years—that’s six lives saved every minute. India's Universal Immunisation Programme, the world's largest, protects 26.7 million infants and 29 million pregnant women every year.

Since 2020, our India affiliate, WJCF, has partnered with the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to strengthen the country’s immunization systems. On Jan. 20, we convened leaders in New Delhi for critical dialogue on advancing equitable, data-driven, community-centered immunization strategies.

Here's what emerged from the conversations:

🔵 Data isn't just numbers - it's a catalyst for action. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh showed that strong program management enables decentralized decision-making to reach the last-mile. But tech-enabled analytics only deliver value when paired with transparency and accountability.

🔵 Communities hold the answers. The Zero Dose Learning Agenda proved that community insights—not assumptions—reveal barriers. Co-creating solutions with caregivers, grassroots health workers, community workers, and program managers produces lasting impact.

🔵 AI with equity. Machine learning enables us understand unreached populations by extracting patterns from complex, high-dimensional data. But technology alone isn’t the solution. An equity-centred approach grounded in transparency and bias awareness ensures these models complement human judgement rather than replace it.

🔵 Urban-specific solutions. Cities present distinct challenges: diverse populations, high mobility, and fragmented health systems. Closing health coverage gaps requires flexible service delivery models, strong governance, effective data use, and public-private collaboration.

🔵 Strategic vaccine introduction. Expanding existing but underused vaccines like HPV and TCV will broaden protection and bridge equity gaps. New vaccines for dengue and TB offer opportunities to tackle high-burden diseases in a comprehensive manner. Participants highlighted the need for early planning, robust logistics, and sustained community engagement to accelerate uptake.

To every government representative, partner, donor, and expert who enriched this dialogue—thank you. And to the frontline health workers and ASHAs whose dedication ensures every child is reached—this work is only possible because of you.



Gates Foundation, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF India, UNDP India, Jhpiego, JSI, IIT Delhi

01/23/2026

This Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we’re highlighting how governments are using portable technology to bring treatment directly to women in rural areas.

Traditional cervical cancer treatment equipment is heavy, requires compressed gas, and stays in major hospitals. Women in rural areas had to travel hours—if they could afford the trip at all.

Now, 14 ministries of health are deploying portable, battery-powered thermal ablation devices. They cost 75% less than traditional treatment and work in primary care facilities. Over 6,000 devices have been deployed, with 85% placed in local health centers closest to where women live.

The results? Over 1.5 million women screened. Governments in Burkina Faso, Côte D’Ivoire, Malawi, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, and Senegal are hitting 90% treatment rates for women who test positive—years ahead of WHO’s 2030 targets. When governments invest in accessible tools, elimination becomes possible.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/F0Te50Y0kqW

Unitaid

This white paper is a comprehensive guidance for countries seeking to integrate thermal ablation devices into national health programs

01/20/2026

This Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we’re highlighting how bringing screening directly to women is saving lives.

For years, Stelia Facki wanted to get screened for cervical cancer. But she’s a 30-year-old mother living in rural Malawi, and the nearest hospital was hours away and too expensive to reach.

That is, until the Malawian government—working with CHAI and Unitaid—brought HPV self-sampling kits directly to her village. A community health worker showed her how to test herself. Simple. Private. No long journey required.

A week later, Stelia got her results: she tested positive for HPV and had precancerous lesions. She went to her nearest health center and received treatment the same day.

Today, she’s cancer-free and telling other women in her community: “It’s the best thing I ever did for myself”.

Working with ministries of health across Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, we’re proving that community-based screening works—and government leadership is making cervical cancer elimination real.

Read more: https://ow.ly/oy7W50Y0kfl

Meet Stelia, whose story shows how community-based HPV self-testing is bringing cervical cancer screening to remote African villages.

01/16/2026

Today, Kenya's Ministry of Health launched the National Cervical Cancer Elimination and Action Plan (NCCEAP) 2025-2030—one of the most comprehensive, evidence-based roadmaps for cervical cancer elimination on the continent.

The urgency is clear: Cervical cancer kills about 10 Kenyan women every single day. That's 3,600 preventable deaths each year from a disease we know how to stop.

If Kenya achieves the WHO 90-70-90 targets outlined in this plan, it could save more than 240,000 lives over the next generation.

The plan is built on years of evidence—from HPV self-sampling pilots to health system costing analyses. Kenya studied what works, calculated the cost, and built a financially sustainable pathway forward.

Key elements:
→ Scale HPV DNA testing from

12/18/2025

Grateful for the continued Sida-CHAI regional partnership. This work demonstrates that even in a constrained environment, it is possible to address financial barriers to SRHR.

Since 2022, we’ve worked with ministries of health and finance to set priorities, mobilize and redirect resources to where they’re needed most, increase financial protection, and leverage the private sector. That foundation has been critical to help countries protect SRHR this past year.

Even as budgets tighten, smart health financing can ensure women and girls can access the care they need.

12/17/2025

"I used to rely on home births due to financial constraints. But this program provided me with full support during my hospital delivery." — Barilah Aliyu, mother in Katsina State, Nigeria

For too long, Nigerian mothers like Barilah had to choose between paying for healthcare or feeding their families. In Nigeria, 1 in 200 women dies in childbirth—and 1 in 8 children doesn't make it to age 5.

But something remarkable just happened in six Nigerian states. 🇳🇬

With support from Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada these states didn't just get funding—they built the systems and trained the staff to run their own health insurance programs. The result? They tripled health insurance coverage, reaching over a million vulnerable people.

Now mothers get full hospital care. Kids get complete doses of medicine instead of split pills. And the states are sustaining this growth with their own funding.

This is what happens when you invest in building systems that last. 💙

Read more about how it worked: https://ow.ly/ueCk50XKWYn

12/17/2025

As we close out the year, we’re celebrating the incredible people behind CHAI’s mission—starting with René Kaboré, our Malaria Program Manager in Burkina Faso.

René’s journey from finance to frontline strategy reflects the spirit of growth and purpose that defines CHAI. Since joining in 2022, he’s helped drive life-saving malaria interventions, support national funding efforts, and strengthen systems that protect families—including his own.

Here’s to the people who make progress possible—and to a new year filled with even greater momentum.

👉 Read more about René’s story: https://ow.ly/HtLh50Xe9WH

12/10/2025

Major study shows AI tool nearly doubles detection of cervical pre-cancer

New research published today in The Lancet Global Health offers hope in the fight against cervical cancer—a disease that kills 300,000 women each year, almost entirely in low- and middle-income countries.

Our study of 24,447 women across five African countries found that an AI-based screening tool called Automated Visual Evaluation (AVE) nearly doubled the detection rate of pre-cancerous lesions:

• Visual inspection alone: 36.6%
• Combined with AI assistance: 71.8%

That means that visual inspection alone was missing nearly two-thirds of cases.

The tool works through a simple smartphone app that functions offline, helping frontline health workers identify abnormalities without requiring specialists at every location.
Conducted in government health facilities in Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, this isn't just a pilot—it's real-world evidence of how AI can support cervical cancer elimination efforts where they're needed most.

Read the full study in The Lancet Global Health:
https://ow.ly/cmGN50XGZGO

12/03/2025

We’ve screened over 2.5 million children for disabilities across eight countries over the last year.

But screening is just the beginning.

The real impact comes from what happens next—and that's where we're focusing our efforts.

Many children who are screened don't receive follow-up care. Families face transportation costs, long wait times, and limited specialists. In Liberia, there's just ONE physiotherapist for the entire country.

That’s why, together with the The LEGO Foundation and local partners, we are bringing care into communities:
• Training 15,000 frontline workers—teachers, healthcare providers, social workers
• Establishing local production of assistive devices (wheelchairs, standing frames, adaptive toys)
• Integrating screening into existing community spaces (toy libraries, play camps, homes)
• Strengthening referral systems to ensure timely interventions

Lessons learned:
✅ Government leadership is crucial
✅ Community involvement drives participation
✅ Combining screening efforts increases efficiency
✅ Screening must connect to intervention services

What’s next: our goal is to screen 3 million children and connect at least 40,000 with disabilities to appropriate care next year.

Watch our work in action: https://ow.ly/Cl7U50XARjS

World Health Organization (WHO)

12/02/2025

Meet Mustapha Tokpa, a six-year-old boy from northwestern Liberia. Born with cerebral palsy, Mustapha spent years sitting on his family's porch watching other children play—close enough to hear their laughter, but unable to join them.

Like many children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries, Mustapha was invisible to the systems meant to support him. With just one physiotherapist for the entire country, families in Liberia face impossible choices: travel long distances, often at great expense, for care — or go without.

But the government of Liberia, in partnership with CHAI and the The LEGO Foundation, are working to change that.

Earlier this year, community volunteers began visiting Mustapha's home. They adapted familiar games so he could participate safely. They connected him to the country’s only Medical Rehabilitation Center, where he received his first wheelchair.

Today Mustapha moves freely around his yard. He plays with friends.

As his mother said: "I feel like Mustapha is reborn. He feels important when his friends come behind him and push him to the playground."

Mustapha's story is one of many. Across eight countries, we've now screened over 1 million children for disabilities and trained nearly 15,000 frontline workers to bring care into communities.

Because early support doesn't start in hospitals. It begins in homes, classrooms, and community play spaces.

Read Mustapha's full story and learn how Liberia and Kenya are leading the way in community-based assistive technology: https://ow.ly/JBon50XAQzR

World Health Organization (WHO)

Liberia and Kenya demonstrate how community-led assistive technology programs are transforming lives for children with disabilities through local solutions.