How We Work

Zimbabwe health workers receive PPE from donors

How We Work

Our Approach

Our Approach

We operate at the nexus of government, business, and health to drive more equitable access to healthcare.

We believe the best way to create large and sustainable change is to improve existing public and private sector health systems.

We do not provide health services ourselves. Rather, governments lead the solutions, and CHAI works at their invitation to drive change across the entire health ecosystem, from global price negotiations to national health system planning to last-mile delivery.

We do this through the roles CHAI is uniquely positioned to play: as a market shaper, driving down the price of drugs; a trusted government partner, helping to build strong health policies; and an operational partner, turning those policies into action; culminating in our role as ecosystem catalyst, in which we reimagine what is possible to have an outsized impact.

As a result, CHAI’s programs have helped millions of adults and children access lifesaving testing and medicine to diagnose and treat diseases and illnesses they would have died from two decades ago.

Our Approach

We operate at the nexus of government, business, and health to drive more equitable access to healthcare.

We believe the best way to create large and sustainable change is to improve existing public and private sector health systems.

We do not provide health services ourselves. Rather, governments lead the solutions, and CHAI works at their invitation to drive change across the entire health ecosystem, from global price negotiations to national health system planning to last-mile delivery.

We do this through the roles CHAI is uniquely positioned to play: as a market shaper, driving down the price of drugs; a trusted government partner, helping to build strong health policies; and an operational partner, turning those policies into action; culminating in our role as ecosystem catalyst, in which we reimagine what is possible to have an outsized impact.

As a result, CHAI’s programs have helped millions of adults and children access lifesaving testing and medicine to diagnose and treat diseases and illnesses they would have died from two decades ago.

“We have 20 years of experience driving large-scale impact; deep and longstanding partnerships with ministries of health; and an incredibly talented, passionate team.”

Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, CHAI CEO

MARKET SHAPER

We create sustainable marketplaces for health commodities—accelerating market introduction, ensuring affordability, and enhancing supply security to increase equitable access.

TRUSTED STRATEGIC PARTNER

We support government-led planning at national and sub-national levels to integrate and strengthen health systems.

OPERATIONAL PARTNER

We support on-the-ground delivery through technical, operational, and management support to ensure strategic plans are effectively implemented.

ECOSYSTEM CATALYST

We reimagine what is possible and design solutions that leverage the strengths of partners across sectors to bring about transformational impact.

MARKET SHAPER

We create sustainable marketplaces for health commodities—accelerating market introduction, ensuring affordability, and enhancing supply security to increase equitable access.

TRUSTED STRATEGIC PARTNER

We support government-led planning at national and sub-national levels to integrate and strengthen health systems.

OPERATIONAL PARTNER

We support on-the-ground delivery through technical, operational, and management support to ensure strategic plans are effectively implemented.

ECOSYSTEM CATALYST

We reimagine what is possible and design solutions that leverage the strengths of partners across sectors to bring about transformational impact.

Setting Transformational Goals

Setting Transformational Goals

CHAI sets transformational goals that save lives and improve health outcomes at large scale.

Where broad consensus exists within the global health community, we work in lockstep with global, national, and local partners to execute established priorities and proven approaches to achieve our goals.

At the same time, we identify and build support for neglected or under-resourced initiatives where we see a strong case for outsized impact, but a big push is needed. In these cases, CHAI challenges commonly accepted perspectives and practices to change the standard of what is possible.

In every case, we use our Guiding Principles to set our goals that help us achieve our mission. These principles are embedded in how we make decisions, prioritize areas for support, and drive impact at all levels of the organization.

Setting Transformational Goals

CHAI sets transformational goals that save lives and improve health outcomes at large scale.

Where broad consensus exists within the global health community, we work in lockstep with global, national, and local partners to execute established priorities and proven approaches to achieve our goals.

At the same time, we identify and build support for neglected or under-resourced initiatives where we see a strong case for outsized impact, but a big push is needed. In these cases, CHAI challenges commonly accepted perspectives and practices to change the standard of what is possible.

In every case, we use our Guiding Principles to set our goals that help us achieve our mission. These principles are embedded in how we make decisions, prioritize areas for support, and drive impact at all levels of the organization.

Our Guiding Principles

Degree of Impact

A CHAI program should drive dramatic improvement over current health outcomes.

Scale of Impact

CHAI should maximize the number of individuals whose lives are impacted by a CHAI program by solving a problem at a large regional, national, or global scale.

Breadth of Impact

CHAI should change the way others approach a problem so today’s transformation becomes tomorrow’s wisdom.

Sustainability of Impact

Any positive impact CHAI drives should be maintained over time.

“It was evident early on that CHAI’s approach to solving problems was very different from the status quo.”

Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, EVP, Implementation

Our Staff

CHAI’s impact is driven by the talent, creativity, and hard work of the people who work for us. We hire individuals who are entrepreneurial, action-oriented, and impatient for change. They are problem-solvers, with business, government, and global health experience.

Our center of gravity has always been in the countries where we work—85 percent of staff are based in program countries and nearly 70 percent are nationals in the countries where they are based.

“CHAI empowers staff to use our creative freedom to solve large challenges with minimal bureaucracy”

Dang Ngo, VP – Southeast Asia Pacific; Country Director – Vietnam

Join Our Team

CHAI is looking for dynamic and self-motivated individuals who are committed to strengthening health systems around the world and expanding access to care and treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other illnesses.

Back To Top