COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. By the end of 2022, over 720 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported and 7.7 million people have died. The high infection and hospitalization rates from the virus have exposed the fragility of health systems worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. While every region experienced different waves, almost every health system and health worker were strained to their limits during the pandemic. CHAI has supported our partner countries to prevent, test, and treat COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

In 2022, we partnered with ministries of health in low- and middle-income countries to rapidly introduce and scale access to newly developed, highly effective COVID-19 oral antiviral therapies. With support from The Open Society Foundations, Pfizer, Hilton Family Foundation, Unitaid, and Global Fund, CHAI together with Duke University and COVID Collaborative have supported 14 countries on the introduction of oral antivirals to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk groups. The pandemic also exposed significant shortages in key respiratory diagnostics and care equipment —including oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters, concentrators, masks, ventilators, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants, and hospital piping—which predate COVID-19 . We are working with partner governments to forecast and quantify oxygen needs, improve oxygen supply systems, rapidly procure medical oxygen equipment, and expand liquid oxygen services for COVID-19 response and routine services.