Turning malnutrition referrals into recovery: How collaboration is saving lives in Nigeria. August 6, 2026 by PATH In Akwa Ibom State, RHCC is working with the State Ministry of Health and Helen Keller Intl to bridge the gap between malnutrition diagnosis and treatment. In Nigeria, an estimated 2 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) - a life-threatening depletion of nutrients. Although SAM is easily treatable with a high-calorie dietary supplement, only one in five children receive care due to limited access to health facilities equipped with commodities and trained staff to treat malnutrition. Closing the gap between diagnosis and treatment became an urgent goal for the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge (RHCC) when community health workers (CHWs) in RHCC-supported communities reported that children with malnutrition could not access treatment at the local health facility. Through a collaboration between the Akwa Ibom State government, PATH, and Helen Keller Intl, temporary clinics brought treatment to communities and supported the screening and recovery of children. Identifying the gap. Implemented by PATH and in partnership with local Rotary members, RHCC is supported by The Rotary Foundation and the Gates Foundation. The project provides technical and logistical support to the Akwa Ibom and Kebbi State primary health care development agencies to strengthen community-based health care for children through the implementation of integrated community case management (iCCM). iCCM provides quality care for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia in children under five years of age through community-level health care, and referral for severe cases of these diseases. Trained CHWs serve as a critical bridge between households and health facilities, providing lifesaving health services and information to families in rural communities. As a part of their training, CHWs learn to screen children ages 6-59 months for malnutrition using mid-upper arm circumference straps - a simple, color-coded tool that can reveal whether a child is at risk based on the circumference of their arm. The green zone indicates a healthy child, yellow signals moderate malnutrition, and red denotes SAM and the need for immediate referral to a health facility for treatment. After RHCC-supported services launched in October 2025, CHWs in Akwa Ibom State began identifying children with SAM and referring them to nearby health facilities. However, when these families arrived, they could not receive services - the facilities did not have trained staff, or the specialized therapeutic food needed to treat SAM. The missing piece. Also in Akwa Ibom, Helen Keller Intl, through its Founders Pledge-funded Life Saving Nutrition Project under their Project Resource Optimization (PRO) program, trains health workers and stocks facilities with ready-to-use therapeutic food in four local government areas. However, these areas did not overlap with the RHCC-supported communities where children with malnutrition were identified. To address the gap in nutrition services in RHCC-supported areas, PATH, the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Helen Keller Intl, and the State Nutrition Unit joined forces to provide lifesaving services for children in the state. After a series of planning meetings, the group designed an innovative solution: 12 temporary nutrition out-patient therapeutic program (OTP) clinics established in two locations within each of the six RHCC-supported local government areas - Ikono, Ibesikpo Asutan, Eket, Onna, Oruk Anam, and Nsit Ibom. Six days that sparked change. From April 13 to 18, 2025, CHWs fanned out across their communities, reaching out to caregivers of children who had already been identified as malnourished to refer them to the temporary OTP clinic. The response was overwhelming. "I didn't know what to do until the CHW assigned to my community visited... I agreed to come on the day of the clinic as I was told because I had no other option. It is still like a miracle to me, because my son is now fully recovered." - Mother of a recovered child, Akwa Ibom State Helen Keller Intl and the State Nutrition Unit teams set up clinics to screen and classify cases of malnutrition. Children with moderate malnutrition received micronutrient supplements and counseling. Those with SAM were enrolled into treatment and given weekly weight-based rations of ready-to-use therapeutic food or RUTF, a nutrient-dense, high calorie peanut-based paste that provides life-saving nutrition. In just six days, 323 children were screened. Of these, 108 children were diagnosed with a form of acute malnutrition - including 58 with SAM, who were enrolled in treatment immediately. This care came at no cost to families. Helen Keller Intl covered nutrition services, allowing families to access lifesaving care without financial barriers. "I was worried I would not be able to afford the cost of treatment. The CHW told me it would be free. Now my daughter is fine, laughing and playing around. I hope this can be extended to other places." - Mother of a recovered child, Akwa Ibom State A local response becomes a lasting system. What began as a short-term emergency response revealed something larger: the demand for these services exceeded what anyone had anticipated. The nutrition OTP clinics drew in families whose children had never been tested before, proof of just how many children were slipping through the cracks. Helen Keller Intl responded by expanding its Life Saving Nutrition Project to cover all six RHCC-supported local government areas in Akwa Ibom, and the SAM referral sites which started as temporary have become established SAM management facilities managed by Helen Keller Intl. Health workers will be trained, and facilities will be fully stocked, with the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency overseeing the system's sustainability. The communities of Akwa Ibom did not need more resources. They needed to be connected to existing resources - across funding streams, across organizations, across the gap between identification and treatment. Leadership from the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency is now exploring ways to institutionalize this collaborative model across the state. This experience demonstrated what is possible when organizations unite around a shared goal.

PATH and Unitaid partner with GiveWell to strengthen integrated HIV and syphilis testing for mothers, newborns, and their families. July 14, 2026 by PATH An initiative between PATH, Unitaid, and GiveWell will advance dual testing for HIV and syphilis via primary health care platforms across five countries in Africa. GiveWell has committed US$5 million in additional funding to expand the Unitaid-funded SAFEStart+ initiative that aims to prevent transmission of infectious diseases from mothers to their babies across nine countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The additional funding comes at a critical time, as recent disruptions to international health financing have affected countries' ability to procure essential diagnostics, threatening progress towards eliminating the vertical (mother-to-child) transmission of infectious diseases. By building on Unitaid's US$22 million investment in SAFEStart+, GiveWell's contribution will be deployed rapidly through existing country-led platforms, helping to protect access to testing while strengthening integrated maternal and newborn health services. HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and Chagas disease can all be vertically transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding - causing stillbirth, severe illness, or lifelong health complications. Syphilis alone is estimated to cause approximately 150,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths each year. However, nearly all of these deaths could be effectively prevented through timely testing and treatment during pregnancy. "Testing and treating syphilis during pregnancy can be a highly cost-effective way to prevent stillbirths and protect newborns," said Meika Ball, New Areas Program Officer at GiveWell. "It is a simple, low-cost intervention that can have an outsized impact on maternal and newborn health. Recent disruptions to global health funding have put access to testing in several countries at risk, and we expect this grant can help close that gap by building on the platforms SAFEStart+ has already established." "Testing and treating syphilis during pregnancy can be a highly cost-effective way to prevent stillbirths and protect newborns...it is a simple, low-cost intervention that can have an outsized impact on maternal and newborn health." - Meika Ball, New Areas Program Officer, GiveWell SAFEStart+ is a multi-country initiative funded and implemented in partnership with Unitaid, and co-led by PATH, the World Hepatitis Alliance, and the International Community of Women living with HIV East Africa. Working with government and community partners, the project is strengthening integrated antenatal and postnatal care by expanding access to timely screening and treatment for HIV, syphilis, HBV, and Chagas disease. This includes scaling up access to diagnostic tools that can detect multiple infections in a single rapid test, enabling faster diagnosis and earlier treatment. GiveWell's funding will support the procurement and delivery of dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. The investment builds on the integrated platforms already being established through SAFEStart+ in collaboration with ministries of health, national technical working groups, and community advisory groups. "Testing is the gateway to prevention. This timely investment will help to defray urgent gaps in HIV and syphilis testing while strengthening the continuum of prevention, treatment, and care for women and their families." - Dr. Albert Komba, Project Director, SAFEStart+ "Every woman deserves access to care that can protect her health and give her child the healthiest possible start in life," said Dr. Albert Komba, Project Director for SAFEStart+. "Testing is the gateway to prevention. This timely investment will help to defray urgent gaps in HIV and syphilis testing while strengthening the continuum of prevention, treatment, and care for women and their families." In addition to procuring quality-assured dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests, GiveWell's investment will support health worker training as well as monitoring, evaluation, and evidence generation to address persistent health system gaps and inform national and global policy on integrated HIV and syphilis testing. "SAFEStart+ is helping countries move beyond disease-specific programs towards integrated care that meets women's needs throughout pregnancy and after birth," said Janet Ginnard, Director of Strategy, Unitaid. "By integrating testing, prevention, and treatment into routine maternal and newborn health services, countries can improve outcomes, make better use of limited resources, and build stronger health systems. GiveWell's contribution will amplify the initiative's impact." GiveWell's co-investment in complementary activities demonstrates how catalytic financing can attract complementary support to protect progress during periods of funding uncertainty. By building on SAFEStart+, the additional investment will help countries sustain momentum toward eliminating vertical transmission while strengthening integrated, people-centered delivery platforms - leading to healthier futures for mothers and their children. "By integrating testing, prevention, and treatment into routine maternal and newborn health services, countries can improve outcomes, make better use of limited resources, and build stronger health systems." - Janet Ginnard, Director of Strategy, Unitaid About SAFEStart+ The Country- and Community-led Scale-up of Accessible, Integrated, and Family-centered EVT plus Services for a Healthy Start (SAFEStart+) project is a multi-country initiative funded by Unitaid and co-led by PATH, the World Hepatitis Alliance, the International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa. It aims to accelerate the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B virus, and Chagas disease by driving greater demand and adoption of evidence-based approaches and integrated delivery strategies for triple elimination across nine priority countries and ten peer-learning countries. About PATH PATH is a global nonprofit advancing health innovations with and for the people who need them most. With nearly 50 years of experience, a global team of experts, and trusted partnerships spanning 70+ countries, PATH turns breakthroughs into better health for millions every single year. Learn more at www.path.org. About Unitaid Unitaid saves lives by making new health products affordable and available in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborating with partners, Unitaid identifies innovative treatments, tackles market barriers, and quickly delivers solutions to those in need. Since 2006, Unitaid has unlocked over 150 health products, addressing HIV, TB, malaria, women's and children's health, and pandemic preparedness. Every year, these products benefit around 390 million people. Unitaid is a hosted partnership of the World Health Organization. www.unitaid.org About GiveWell GiveWell is an independent, nonprofit research organization dedicated to finding and funding outstanding opportunities in global health and development. Trusted annually by tens of thousands of donors, GiveWell searches for highly cost-effective programs that save or improve lives the most. Since 2007, more than 150,000 donors have given over $2.6 billion through GiveWell to the most promising programs its research has identified. Media contacts PATH: Lauren Grella, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Phone: +1-206-285-3500, [email protected] Unitaid: Kyle Wilkinson, Communications Officer, Phone: +41 79 445 17 45, [email protected] GiveWell: Matthew Kertman, Communications Strategist, [email protected]

From innovation to access: ensuring lifesaving solutions reach those who need them. July 2, 2026 by Dr. Melanie Saville PATH's Chief Scientific Officer, Melanie Saville, outlines how Path International is developing health products that reach low-resource settings and scaling them to achieve lasting impact. Everyone has a right to lifesaving health innovations, no matter where they live. PATH's Product Development division exists to turn that right into reality, working in partnership to research, develop, and ensure access to the diagnostics, health technologies, and vaccines that address the world's most pressing health needs. Its work has resulted in more than 50 new products being brought to market for low- and middle-income countries. This is one of the priorities at the heart of PATH's Strategy 2030. PATH works across the full length of a product's life cycle, from the initial scientific concept to everyday use in the clinics and communities it is meant for. Path International conduct the research and clinical development to show that a product is safe and effective. Path International work with partners to make it affordable, available at a sufficient volume, and suited to the conditions where it will be used. And Path International stay with it as it scales, so that what works in one place can reach many. Access and affordability. A product can be approved and still not reach the people it is for because it is priced out of the health systems that would buy it, lacks an effective commercialization strategy, or is unworkable in the conditions where it is needed. PATH works on all of these aspects, so the products Path International develop are affordable, accessible, and usable where they are needed. The G6PD test Path International co-developed with SD Biosensor shows what that means in practice. Radical cure therapies for Plasmodium vivax malaria can cause a severe blood disorder in people with G6PD deficiency, a hereditary condition. Previously, testing for G6PD deficiency required a laboratory test that most patients in affected areas could not reach. The test Path International developed brought a G6PD diagnostic to the point of care, so people can be tested for G6PD sufficiency and treated safely and effectively where they are. It is the first of its kind to earn World Health Organization prequalification and is registered in more than 30 countries. It is also included in five national malaria programs, including in Brazil, which has a large burden of P. vivax cases. Scaling to lasting impact. Once a product is proven safe and effective, PATH works to create the conditions for it to reach everyone who needs it, partnering with national health ministries, manufacturers, donors, and regulators on the introduction, supply, and policy decisions that carry a product from approval into widespread use. This is the country-led work that ensures an innovation has lasting impact. Many vaccines lose their potency when exposed to heat. PATH adapted existing technology to develop a temperature-sensitive vaccine vial monitor sticker that tracks heat exposure over time. Vaccine vial monitors now sit on every vaccine UNICEF buys. Since 1996, more than 10 billion have helped ensure that only effective vaccines reach children. For a century, deadly meningitis epidemics have swept across sub-Saharan Africa. The meningitis A vaccine Path International developed with the World Health Organization and the Serum Institute of India is tailored for use in Africa, in response to a call from the continent's health ministers. The vaccine has since reached more than 360 million people and all but eliminated the disease across the meningitis belt. Why this matters now. Funding for global health is under growing pressure, and long-term research and development is often the first thing to come under threat when budgets tighten. Cutting this funding would set back the health of millions for years and leave the people who most need protection without the innovations meant for them. The case for staying the course is written in what Path International has already achieved together. The world's first malaria vaccine, more than two decades in the making, has now reached millions of children across sub-Saharan Africa, and PATH is helping more countries introduce it. Each of these products began as an idea and took years of development, funding, and partnership to reach the people who use them now. Through 2030, PATH will keep translating scientific advances into the diagnostics, vaccines, and devices designed for the populations that bear the greatest burden of disease and do not always have access to these critical tools.