CHAI has partnered with the government of Benin to accelerate access to HIV treatments for children and adults since 2016. In 2019, CHAI began supporting the government’s malaria eradication efforts and since then, have partnered on many other initiatives, including: better data to track neglected tropical disease infections, strengthening health systems to provide better sexual and reproductive health services in communities, and reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children with routine childhood vaccinations.

CHAI also provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and associated government agencies to strengthen the public health system’s ability to deliver on the country’s goal to eliminate malaria and neglected tropical diseases. For example, CHAI worked with the government to strengthen data quality and promote the use of data for decision-making. Together, we digitized the seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign as well as a critical campaign in 2024 to reduce the prevalence of onchocerciasis, or river blindness, which is transmitted via blackflies. As a result, the campaign reached seven million people, increasing the treatment coverage from 74 to 84 percent between 2022 and 2024. The campaign also improved the enumeration process in 2024, with 7.4 percent more people identified compared to 2022 after accounting for population growth.

Similarly, we are generating evidence for the Expanded Program on Immunization to support the introduction of new vaccines, including the human papillomavirus vaccine, or HPV, which prevents cervical cancer. We are also supporting the program with financial modeling to inform the country’s transition from GAVI funding.