Boston, Massachusetts, November 18, 2024 – The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is pleased to announce a transformative three-year, US$8 million grant from Open Philanthropy, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, dedicated to advancing global efforts to combat sickle cell disease (SCD). This is the first-ever grant to focus on global market-shaping efforts for SCD.
Sickle cell disease is one of the world’s most neglected diseases, ranking as the twelfth leading cause of death in children under five, according to the Global Burden of Disease study. Nearly 515,000 infants are born with the disease each year, with the majority living in Africa. Without care, children with SCD are highly susceptible to serious infection, anemia, and increased risk of mortality from severe malaria. In fact, experts estimate that between 50 to 90 percent of children who lack access to care may die before their fifth birthday. This grant will help close the gap in access to treatment and care for children living with SCD, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries.
“Sickle cell disease embodies the glaring inequities in global healthcare access,” said Dr. David Ripin, CHAI’s Executive Vice President of Infectious Diseases and Chief Science Officer. “While the world is focused on an SCD cure through gene therapies, the reality is that hundreds of thousands of children born in low- and middle-income countries are dying every year because they don’t have access to basic diagnostic tests and affordable treatments. We have a proven track record in transforming diseases from death sentences to manageable conditions, and this grant will help us extend that impact to SCD.”
Driving market access and reducing treatment costs
CHAI will leverage this funding to implement market-shaping strategies to enhance access to SCD diagnostics and treatments. The organization plans to reduce the cost of SCD diagnostics by at least 25 percent and to make quality-assured (QA) SCD treatment hydroxyurea available at or below the price of existing non-QA products.
The funding will also support healthcare system strengthening in high-prevalence countries such as Ghana, India, and Nigeria. CHAI plans to work with national ministries of health to expand SCD screening programs, enroll affected children in care, and ensure continuity of treatment.
“Early detection and prevention are crucial in managing sickle cell disease,” said CHAI Ghana Country Director Leslie Emegbuonye. “With this funding, we can prioritize healthcare for children under five living with SCD, ensuring no one is left behind.”
Scaling pediatric care and global advocacy
Despite the availability of straightforward diagnostic tools and cost-effective treatment regimens, access to these lifesaving interventions remains severely limited in low- and middle-income countries. With more funding and a well-conceived implementation plan to expand care, we can turn the narrative around to ensure that all children with the disease are screened early, receive the treatment they need at the appropriate time, and live a long and healthy life.
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About CHAI
The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. For more information, visit: www.clintonhealthaccess.org.
Media Contact
Corina Milic
Director of Global Communications
+1 416 371 6313
press@clintonhealthaccess.org
