Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc.

At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025 in India, CHAI and Sangath India convened a session on ‘Integrating Mental & Brain Health: A Roadmap for Equitable Healthcare’. The panel comprised experts in mental health, neurosciences, brain health, and human behaviour, who discussed the progressive MoH policies that mandate integration of mental and brain health into India's broader development and health agenda — from universal health coverage to climate resilience. Drawing on evidence and experience, the panel underscored the criticality of mental and brain health as a foundation for human potential enabling learning, productivity, demographic resilience, and economic growth — offering strong cross-sector returns on investment. The experts reaffirmed that advancing mental and brain health requires systemic integration across sectors to enable equitable healthcare. They also discussed how technology and community-led innovations are leading the way in expanding access but must be designed with equity at the core — particularly in addressing gender, privacy, and digital inclusion. Moving from pilots to system-wide adoption are key to scale. We look forward to deepening these conversations and translating the panel’s insights into meaningful action. #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #WorldHealthSummit #WHSRM2025 #HealthEquity 

At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025, CHAI hosted a panel with EngenderHealth India on “Empowering Through Choices: Harnessing Product Innovation & Novel Service Delivery for Contraceptive Access.” The discussion underscored the importance of meeting user preferences, especially for young people, by expanding access to on-demand contraceptive methods. The role of cross-sector partnerships is especially critical. As panelists shared-researchers, regulators, funders, and private players must work together to scale solutions equitably. The private sector has a key role, particularly where public systems are stretched, but requires integration, training, and tools to ensure quality care. The role of emerging delivery platforms, such as e-pharmacies, quick commerce, and teleconsultations, was highlighted as offering discreet, efficient access. However, it was noted these must be accompanied by safeguards to ensure trust and accuracy. Technology and packaging were also discussed as tools that can go beyond distribution, enhancing awareness and informed decision-making. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and co-creating solutions that centre choice, access, and trust in contraceptive care. #WHSRM2025 #HealthEquity #SRHR

At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025 in India, CHAI convened a workshop on “Strengthening SRHR Services for Maternal & Neonatal Health through Expanded Access to Birth Spacing and Delaying Interventions.” Discussions highlighted the potential of integrating family planning more deeply into development efforts — by embedding it within health, education, and livelihood programs, and using platforms such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs), schools, and digital tools to expand reach and build human capital. There was an emphasis on targeted interventions to improve service delivery, rethink programme design, and introduce contextual incentives — particularly to address gaps in underserved areas. Exploring innovative financing approaches emerged as a key opportunity to engage the private sector — with models such as outcome-based financing and blended finance offering possible pathways to sustainable partnerships in SRHR. The role of data and technology was also central to the discussion, with a shared recognition that the use of demographic and programmatic data — supported by AI could strengthen decision-making, drive responsiveness, and help demonstrate impact. We look forward to taking these reflections forward to shape more inclusive, data-informed, and resilient reproductive health systems. #MaternalHealth #SRHR #NeonatalHealth #WHSRM2025 #HealthEquity

Closing the US$200-350 billion annual mental health investment gap is critical to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Investments that scale known, cost-effective mental health interventions, such as psychotherapy and psychiatric medications, could be the first step in closing this investment gap. Doing so could add US$4.4 trillion to the global economy by enabling 57 million people to participate in the labor force and enhance their productivity. The benefits of this investment surpass mental health alone. Read the latest from the McKinsey & Company Health Institute and the Clinton Health Access Initiative on how prioritizing investments in mental health can save and improve lives, reduce healthcare costs, and support the transition to a thriving brain economy: https://ow.ly/mRzZ50VKnEA Neel Lakhani Luke Aldridge #BrainHealth #InvestInMentalHealth #BrainEconomy

📌We are currently hiring for new roles within CHAI's Health Systems Strengthening team. 🔍Explore the positions here: https://lnkd.in/dX4ihJes #CHAIRecruiting #HiringNow #Hiring #TeamCHAI

This World Malaria Day, with funding reductions looming, I found myself returning for inspiration to Bill Foege's accounts (https://lnkd.in/eqH-XGd7) of how the global smallpox eradication program creatively used the occasion of resource limitations to run programs differently, and ultimately more successfully. In 1966, during an outbreak of smallpox in Nigeria, the program received too few vaccine doses to pursue its usual strategy of mass vaccination of the entire population. Instead, they creatively targeted their limited resources to those most in need based on disease surveillance — and found the strategy was wildly successful in driving down transmission. Malaria is a more complicated disease than smallpox, but malaria programs today have more powerful tools. Years of investment in digital surveillance systems, supplemented with high-resolution mapping approaches, provide the disease intelligence to carefully target our efforts to where they will matter most. Mathematical modeling enables malaria programs to weigh trade-offs between different tools — to best fight malaria in this specific geography, should we spend our limited money on nets, or prophylactic drugs, or vaccines? — and design programs that are carefully tailored to the local context. Pairing these tools with organizational improvements to integrate fragmented systems, reduce dependencies on expensive campaigns, and better leverage the private sector may enable us to echo smallpox's successes in doing more with less. Many national malaria programs have already gotten started, evaluating their budgets for unnecessary costs, making the case to their ministries of finance for increased funding allocations, and thinking through scenarios for maximizing the impact of resources under different potential future funding scenarios. I've been inspired by the program managers I've seen already seizing this crisis as an opportunity to improve how they design and run their programs. If we in the global malaria community support them now — proactively, getting ahead of looming cuts rather than pushing ahead with business as usual in hopes that they ultimately will not occur — we can jointly transform this funding disruption into a foundation for more resilient, locally-owned, and sustainable malaria control and elimination efforts. On this somber World Malaria Day, despite the very real challenges and risks ahead for our community, this potential leaves me with some much needed hope.

CHAI at WHS-RM 2025! Mental health is not a standalone issue — it is deeply linked to physical health, social determinants, and policy frameworks. As communicable and non-communicable diseases rise, integrating mental and brain health into healthcare systems is critical. Join Clinton Health Access Initiative and Sangath at WHS-RM 2025 for a critical discussion on policy innovations and scalable models for mental health integration. 📅 April 27, 2025 | 🕞 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM 📍 Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Chairs: • Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences • Dr. Rajender Dhamija, Director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences; Chair, National Task Force on Brain Health, NITI Aayog 🔹 Moderator: Mr. Harkesh Dabas, Managing Director, CHAI India Panelists: ✅Dr. Abhijit Nadkarni, Co-Director, Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Co-Director, Sangath ✅Dr. Andrea Winkler, Head Global, Brain Health Unit, Department of Neurology and Co-(Joint)-Director, Center for Global Health, Technical University of Munich, Germany ✅Tasneem Raja, Head, Mental Health Initiatives, Indira Foundation Register here: https://ow.ly/fpA350VHTsR #HealthEquity #GlobalHealth #WHS #WHSNewDelhi2025

WHS-RM 2025 | Workshop Alert! 💡 Healthy Spacing of Childbirths: A Game Changer for Maternal & Child Health 📅 April 27, 2025 | 🕜 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM 📍 Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Why It Matters: Closely spaced pregnancies increase health risks for both mothers and newborns, contributing to maternal depletion, neonatal complications, and child undernutrition. This session explores evidence-based solutions to integrate birth spacing and delaying first pregnancies into maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) programs. Who’s Leading the Conversation? Chair: 🔹 Dr Sumita Ghosh, Officer on Special Duty (Health), NITI Aayog 🎤 Moderators: 🔹 Dr. Kirti Iyengar, Children's Investment Fund Foundation 🔹 Mansharan Seth, CHAI India 🔹 Dr. Bulbul Sood, Sr. Technical Advisor, CHAI India 🎙 Meet the Experts: ✅Dr. Inderdeep Kaur, Public Health Specialist ✅Dr. Jyoti Sachdeva, State Program Officer Maternal Health and Family Planning, Directorate of Family Welfare Delhi ✅Madhavika Bajoria, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network ✅Raghavendra Rao, India Health Fund ✅Shankar Narayanan, Chemonics International ✅Dr. Soumya Ramesh, Population Council of India ✅Sumita Banerjee, UN Foundation, FP 2030 ✅William Joe, Institute of Economic Growth This high-impact session will discuss India and global learnings and their implication on funding strategies, and programmatic innovations to ensure healthier pregnancies and stronger families. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggQg2QJA

Mental health conditions are responsible for 290 million years of healthy life lost yet only receive 2% of government health funding. Prioritizing mental health is critical to addressing the growing non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis, especially as mental and substance use disorders often co-occur with and exacerbate other NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. New and greater investments in proven, cost-effective mental health interventions, could reclaim 150 million years of healthier life globally by 2050. The McKinsey & Company Health Institute and the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s latest research, with data from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, unpacks the potential power of such investments and emphasizes the outsized role that mental health can play in addressing the global NCD crisis. Learn more: https://ow.ly/Y7za50VHSEm Neel Lakhani Luke Aldridge #BrainHealth #InvestInMentalHealth #BrainEconomy #MentalHealth

📌ONE DAY TO GO! CHAI presents impactful panels at WHS-RM 2025—advancing healthcare equity through innovation & integration! Clinton Health Access Initiative brings together leading experts, policymakers, and innovators to discuss game-changing solutions for reproductive health, maternal & neonatal care, and mental health integration. Join us for powerful conversations shaping the future of healthcare access and equity. 📅 April 26, 2025 🔹 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM | Empowering through Choices: Harnessing Product Innovation & Novel Service Delivery for Contraceptive Access 💡 Exploring program strategies, financing mechanisms, and innovative service delivery models to expand contraceptive choices for underserved populations. 📅 April 27, 2025 🔹 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Workshop- Healthy Spacing of Childbirths: Ensuring Improved Maternal & Child Health 💡 Evidence-backed strategies for integrating birth spacing & delaying first pregnancies into national health programs—improving maternal & child health outcomes. 🔹 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM | Integrating Mental and Brain Health: A Roadmap for Equitable Healthcare 💡 Bridging mental health & primary care to create a holistic, inclusive health system—ensuring better access for all. Let’s make healthcare accessible, inclusive, and impact-driven! Stay tuned for updates! #HealthEquity, #GlobalHealth, #WHS #WHSNewDelhi2025