Alliance News
The Potential of GenAI for Health Behavior Change | Key Takeaways from the White Paper Virtual Launch
On March 26, the Bay Area Global Health Alliance hosted a virtual launch event for the recently released white paper, Generative AI for Health in Low and Middle-Income Countries, showcasing research conducted by Stanford Center for Digital Health (CDH), with support from Advancing Health Online (AHO). The discussion explored the five key findings from the research: 1) sharing learnings, 2) focusing on actionable measurement, 3) improving language and localization, 4) improving technical capacity and shared infrastructure, and 5) improving digital and basic health infrastructure.
New White Paper Explores GenAI’s Potential on Health Behavior Change in LMICs
As the potential impact of generative AI (GenAI) on health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continues to be explored, two key questions emerge: Where is GenAI currently being used most effectively, and how can its full potential be unlocked for greater impact, both for behavior change and broader healthcare applications? A newly released white paper sheds light on these questions, offering insights from a comprehensive review led by the Stanford Center for Digital Health (CDH) with support from Advancing Health Online (AHO) and the Bay Area Global Health Alliance as lead dissemination partner.
Global Aid at a Crossroads: Legal Battles Intensify Against Trump’s Foreign Aid Policies
Millions globally face the loss of essential humanitarian aid. Implementers of USAID’s global programs are at the brink of collapse, triggering mass layoffs and furloughs. Communications and operations at the HHS and CDC remain restricted. And sharp cuts to U.S. biomedical research could be at stake as a result of the National Institutes of Health (“NIH,” the world’s largest biomedical research institution) cap on indirect costs.
50 by 50: Halving Premature Deaths Globally by 2050 | A Bay Area Launch Event for the Lancet Global Health 2050 Report
On January 22, UCSF, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and the Bay Area Global Health Alliance co-hosted the Bay Area launch of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health report, “Global Health 2050: The Path to Halving Premature Death by Mid-Century.” This event brought together Bay Area students, researchers, and other key stakeholders to explore the significant findings of the Lancet report, discuss next steps, and outline the priorities for follow-up studies.
Private Sector Finance for Global Health: Investing for Impact and Equity | A Conversation and Member Reception
To kick off the new year and gather our multi-sector global health community together, the Bay Area Global Health Alliance invites its members to join us for a conversation on catalyzing increased private sector investment toward achieving health equity for underserved communities across emerging and frontier markets, followed by an in-person networking reception on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 from 3–6 PM PT near Union Square in San Francisco.
Smart Health, Smart Choices: Leveraging AI for Behavior Change in Global Health
On December 3, the Alliance, in partnership with Population Services International (PSI), brought together global health and international development leaders in person at the Microsoft Africa Development Centre in Nairobi and online to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to promote positive health behaviors and create healthier futures for all. This convening marked the final session in our 2024 AI and Global Health Discussion Series, sponsored by Pfizer.
Most USAID Projects Now Canceled, Supreme Court Blocks Foreign Aid Freeze, NIH Cuts Halted
After one of the most devastating months for global health and an extremely brutal week for USAID last week, the global health community received some good news on Wednesday, March 5. In a crucial ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied President Trump’s attempt to freeze $2 billion in foreign aid, part of a broader initiative to cut government spending.
The Alliance Introduces Inaugural Student Advisory Council
The Bay Area Global Health Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of its inaugural 2025 Student Advisory Council (SAC), an initiative designed to enhance engagement with students and faculty across its academic membership.
Freeze on Foreign Aid, USAID Dismantling, and Policy Shifts Threaten Health Programs Worldwide
Foreign aid has been frozen, programs and services around the world have been halted, and USAID was basically dismantled over the weekend—with the latest action of Secretary of State Marco Rubio now also serving as Acting Director of USAID. In our dedication to supporting our members, we are actively working to understand this evolving landscape and are working to provide useful information and resources to our community, within the constraints of a rapidly changing situation.
Dual Market Returns: Healthcare Investment in Emerging Markets | JPM 2025
On Wednesday, January 15, the Bay Area Global Health Alliance hosted a panel discussion, “Realizing Returns: Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets,” at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) in San Francisco, followed by a reception to continue the conversation, “Private Sector Finance for Global Health: Investing for Impact and Equity,” held at Accenture San Francisco Innovation Hub. Together, these discussions explored investment opportunities in global health and partnerships using innovative financing models to drive both business and social returns in emerging markets.
Realizing Returns: Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets | J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2025
The Bay Area Global Health Alliance is honored to be hosting a panel discussion, “Realizing Returns: Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets,” at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 15 at 1:30 PM PT in San Francisco. This discussion will convene a high-impact panel to showcase investment prospects in global health technologies and explore partnerships using innovative financing models to drive both business and social returns in emerging markets.
State of the Alliance 2024
This year has been pivotal in strengthening the impact of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance as a trusted neutral convener, catalyst, and connector. We are proud to champion our members and help transform how diverse sectors collaborate to address the complex global health challenges of our time. As we close this year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to this trusted and growing community. We embrace our role as a catalyst for cross-sector collaboration, engaging the tech sector with traditional global health stakeholders, fostering connections and opportunities for members, and collectively generating insights and innovative solutions that improve health outcomes and lives.
Tackling AMR with Outcomes-Based Financing: Findings from Tanzania and Senegal
On February 25, Neha Agarwal, senior director of strategy at PATH and Alliance board vice chair, led a session for Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign’s Innovation and Health Equity Series. She discussed how outcomes-based financing (OBF) can be leveraged to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Her talk, which provided a first look at data from a year-long study in Tanzania and Senegal, emphasized how innovative financing mechanisms could reshape global health strategies.
Igniting Scale: Private Sector Finance for Global Health in Emerging and Frontier Markets
Baraka Impact Finance and the Alliance co-hosted a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Convening in December to identify and develop innovative strategies that increase private sector investment in healthcare across emerging and frontier markets, where over half of the world’s population remains underserved.
Navigating Trump’s Executive Actions and Their Impact on Global Health
In light of recent executive actions by President Donald Trump, our community faces new challenges and uncertainties that could significantly impact both global health initiatives and domestic health policies. These actions include the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), a pause in foreign assistance, a halt to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) communications, and restrictions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) operations, among others. The full ramifications of these actions are still unfolding, with numerous legal interpretations and challenges anticipated. In our dedication to supporting our members, we have begun to gather initial insights and are actively working to understand this evolving landscape.
Congratulations to Alliance Members Named to the WomenLift Health 2025 Cohort
The Alliance congratulates our Deputy Director Abbey Kocan and many other women leaders among our members for being selected as emerging leaders as part of WomenLift Health’s sixth North America Cohort of the Leadership Journey, a fully-funded leadership initiative designed to support women through the challenges and opportunities of advancing to senior leadership positions in global health.
Leveraging AI for Efficient, Resilient Supply Chains in Global Health
On December 16, Friends of the Global Fight and the Alliance hosted a virtual private dialogue, “Leveraging AI for Efficient, Resilient Supply Chains in Global Health,” to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving medical supply chains worldwide. The event brought together technology innovators and supply chain, digital tech, and private sector partnership leads from The Global Fund, along with other members of the Friends Private Sector Advisory Council.
Igniting Scale: Private Sector Finance for Global Health in Emerging Markets
With Baraka Impact Finance taking the lead, the Alliance is honored to co-host a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Convening in December, focused on “Igniting Scale: Private Sector Finance for Global Health in Emerging and Frontier Markets,” bringing together a diverse brain trust of global health financing experts. In a related effort, the Alliance will host a panel on emerging markets at the prestigious J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 15.
