As 2024 draws to a close, we have highlighted some of the most-read stories on our website—stories that our readers have returned to time and again.
A recurring theme seems to be innovation—exploring new areas and overlooked health issues and scaling impactful ideas. This spirit of innovation shaped the start of 2024, marked by the launch of our new strategy—a vision for the impact we aim to achieve in global health.
CHAI launches our new strategy
In 2024, we launched a new organizational strategy. For two decades, CHAI has operated at the nexus of government, business, and health to catalyze more equitable access to healthcare. The strategy lays out our bold objectives for the next five years and how we will achieve them—through the key roles we play. As market shapers, we drive down the price of drugs and other health products. In our role as trusted strategic partners, we support governments to design strong health policies. As operational partners, we help turn those policies into action. When all three roles come together, we can tackle big, often neglected problems as ecosystem catalysts and dramatically improve health outcomes worldwide.
Vaccine procurement toolkit helps countries solve stock out challenges
In parts of many countries, vaccine stockouts are all too common. Children bear the brunt of lifesaving vaccine shortages. Nearly 13 million children in Africa missed one or more vaccinations over the last three years, according to UNICEF.
To help address vaccine stock management, CHAI developed a Vaccine Procurement Diagnostic Toolkit based on our work in Cameroon and Uganda from 2019 to 2023. The toolkit is now available to ministries of health in low- and middle-income worldwide.
Enabling access to assistive technology products
Market failures prevent almost one billion people from accessing the assistive products they need. This includes eyeglasses, hearing aids, prostheses, wheelchairs, and digital technologies.
In June, CHAI and ATscale published the first-ever Assistive Products Market Report and product catalogue. The report consolidates market intelligence in one place. It provides buyers in low- and middle-income countries with the information they need to make informed procurement decisions.
Integrating services to expand access to assistive technology
Having data is important, but knowing how to use it is essential. Across Africa and Southeast Asia, many countries are working to make health services more inclusive for people with disabilities. CHAI has supported several countries in developing national assistive product lists and inclusive healthcare policies. However, access remains a challenge.
Cambodia offers an innovative solution through integrating services. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and diabetes account for 64 percent of adult deaths in Cambodia, particularly affecting those over 40. Over the past two years, the government has expanded screening and treatment for these NCDs while integrating eye care services for the same demographic. Now, adults visiting health facilities for hypertension or diabetes are also screened for eye conditions.
Providing market intelligence for HIV
While CHAI has just begun providing market data on assistive technology, we have long been a trusted source of market intelligence on HIV in low- and middle-income countries. It’s no surprise that our 2024 HIV Mid-year Market Memo and 2024 HIV Market Report have made it to this most-read stories list. These reports are key resources for donors, research institutions, and partner governments tracking progress in the fight against HIV.
Making sickle-cell disease screening and treatment more accessible
When CHAI was founded more than 20 years ago we helped bring the price of HIV medication down through our pioneering work in market shaping, making critical, lifesaving drugs available to millions of people globally. Today, we plan to do the same with sickle cell disease. Open Philanthropy recently awarded CHAI a three-year US$8 million grant to kick start this work. This is the first-ever grant to focus on market shaping for the disease.
We plan to reduce the cost of sickle cell disease diagnostics by at least a quarter and make hydroxyurea, a quality-assured treatment for the disease, available at or below the price of existing non-quality-assured products. We will also use the funding to strengthen health systems for sickle cell disease care in Ghana, India, and Nigeria.
Paving the way for African vaccine manufacturing
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed global vaccine access inequities, with Africa facing the greatest challenges due to delayed access. This sparked a call for vaccines produced within the continent. CHAI, in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control, is working to make this vision a reality. Ideally, this will enable broader and easier access to vaccines on the continent, particularly during future pandemics. Based on the global community’s interest in this topic, it is also no surprise that it made our most-read stories list. In 2023, we released a white paper outlining current and future manufacturing capacity in Africa. This year, we revisited our findings to assess progress.
In summary
Achieving our vision—a world where everyone can live a health, fulfilling life—requires collective effort. That’s why we are dedicated to sharing what works, drawing on our decades of experience in global health. Our most-read stories highlight some of those lessons. Visit our Resource Center for more stories from 2024.
