March 24, 2023
The Issue
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from infectious disease globally. Nearly all deaths from the disease occur in low- and middle-income countries where poor treatment management and inappropriate use of medication, compounded by long and burdensome drug regimens, have promoted the development of the far deadlier and costlier to treat multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). Children and people living with HIV are particularly vulnerable. In 2017, almost a quarter of all children who became ill with TB died. Efforts to reduce the epidemic have been hampered by drug resistance, barriers to accessing new and better drugs and diagnostics, and insufficient data resulting in poor decision-making and resource allocation within countries.


CHAI's Approach


CHAI is working with our partners to eliminate TB, helping governments to better identify, diagnose, treat, and prevent the disease to save lives and decrease transmission. We work with suppliers to lower prices and improve access to drug regimens that offer higher cure rates, shorter treatment durations, and fewer side effects. We help countries find those who may be infected and get them treated early through the introduction and scale-up of new TB diagnostics. We are also working with countries to roll out shorter preventative treatments to vulnerable, high-risk populations. And, we are helping governments to better understand and track the disease through innovative technology which enables them to make real-time, data-driven decisions.


Results
+10,000
multi-drug resistant TB patients in South Africa moving to less burdensome treatment regimens
US$350
global access price for Bedaquiline, an effective new MDR-TB drug, reduced from over US$700 per 6-month patient course
Our Work



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.
View All CHAI Positions View Program Positions





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.
View All CHAI Positions View Program Positions