The Center for Innovation in Global Health

Building lasting solutions to global health challenges through research, programs, and policy

The Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH) partners with governments, civil society, and others to develop and advance scalable public health solutions around the world. Established by Dr. Charles Holmes, CIGH brings together a multi-disciplinary team with a track record of tackling some of the toughest challenges in public health.

The Latest

CIGH Director Joins World Health Organization Panel in Munich

CIGH Director, Dr. Charles Holmes joined an expert panel with WHO, Gates Foundation and civil society leaders at the July 2024 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany in a session entitled, “What’s new in WHO guidelines: sustainability, monitoring, disease control and elimination.”

Dr. Holmes was a contributor to the development of the 2024 WHO Policy Brief   launched at the meeting, entitled “Supporting re-engagement in HIV treatment services.” Research conducted by Holmes and colleagues during his time as CIDRZ CEO was featured in the Policy Brief, including a study led by Dr. Izukanji Sikazwe examining the reasons clients stopped care or switched clinics, including a seminal article written with Dr. Peter Ehrenkranz establishing the concept of the “cyclical” cascade of care . During the panel, he noted the important role the new Policy Brief can play in “developing more responsive health systems” and called on health systems “to anticipate and support patients through periods of disengagement and re-engagement in care” in order to optimize public health outcomes.

Malawi launches 10,000 person rollout of long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV

CIGH Director, Dr. Charles Holmes joined with the Ministry of Health, National AIDS Commission and other partners in Malawi during the first weeks of the launch of long-acting injectable PrEP in Malawi. Dr. Holmes and the CIGH team are working in partnership with the government of Malawi, NGOs and civil society leaders, through grant support from the Gates Foundation, to accelerate a reduction in new HIV infections through the delivery of long-acting injectable PrEP to 10,000 people vulnerable to HIV over the next two years. Read more here on LinkedIn. 

Led by the Government of Malawi, Blantyre Prevention Strategy leaders convene to talk about progress and challenges in strengthening HIV prevention

Leaders of the Blantyre Prevention Strategy gathered in Munich, Germany at the AIDS 2024 conference to discuss progress and challenges in the rollout of an innovative new approach to strengthening health systems approaches in HIV prevention. The session was opened by Honorable Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo, who was joined by the CEO of the National AIDS Commission, Dr. Beatrice Matanji, Director of Health and Social Services for Blantyre District Dr. Gift Kawalazira, BPS Coordinator Yohane Kamgwira, as well as CIGH leadership. The team explored prevention-related systems development (e.g., digital health, community labs, and quality improvement collaboratives) that make HIV prevention less “operator dependent,” and more coordinated, data driven and locally owned.

The Blantyre Prevention Strategy launches a new website to share project findings, updates, conference presentations, and more.
Click here to learn more.

Events

As part of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa 2023 (ICASA), CIGH and PEPFAR co-hosted a session, “Catalyzing a sustainable HIV prevention agenda: Strengthening national and sub-national health systems.” The session featured leaders from Malawi, Rwanda, and Kenya discussing their approaches building sustainable, cohesive, and integrated programs for HIV prevention, including Malawi’s Blantyre Prevention Strategy. Leaders from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNAIDS and PEPFAR also reflected on these learnings and their relevance to evolving global strategies.

Additionally, CIGH and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) co-hosted a session, “A Whole Government Approach: Addressing a Multi-layered Challenge of New HIV Infections, SGBV and Adolescent Pregnancy (Triple Threat).” The discussion underscores the links between these three challenges and emphasizes the importance of human-centered solutions that holistically address these issues across government and sectors.

In the News

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