WHGI Platform
The Challenge Initiative
Meeting the Challenges in Urban Global Health Through a “Business Unusual” Approach
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) is a global platform that supports local governments in urban areas to scale up high-impact interventions that have been proven successful. By working through existing government and community systems and institutionalizing these practices, TCI facilitates self-reliance and sustainability, while achieving impact.
TCI's current work focuses on family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) programming, but the TCI model could be applied to any health area related to maternal, newborn and child health.
Led by the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health (WHGI) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH), TCI has six regional partners—or “hubs”—in East Africa, Francophone West Africa, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines. Those partners are, respectively, Jhpiego, IntraHealth International, Population Services International India, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Greenstar Social Marketing, and the Zuellig Family Foundation.
Transforming Family Planning for Urban Communities
TCI has engaged more than 170 local governments in urban areas across 13 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Niger, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
TCI currently has a population footprint of 222 million and has contributed to 3.2 million additional family planning clients. In addition, local governments have committed $102 million USD to these TCI-supported family planning programs with about 50% of that spent thus far.
With TCI coaching, local governments have implemented 38,000 high-impact practices (HIPs) and other interventions across 4,500 facilities around the world.
Discover TCI University
TCI University (TCI-U) is a dynamic platform offering high-impact urban family planning and AYSRH interventions for learning, adapting, disseminating and coaching. As a key mechanism to build capacity and strengthen health systems, TCI-U supports local governments to scale up these interventions with in-person and virtual coaching, online toolkits and a vibrant community of practice. Learn more below.
Featured Institute Experts
Executive Director & Principal Investigator, TCI
Kojo Lokko brings an ideal combination of skills and experience with over twenty years of work in family planning, expertise in scaling up programs especially in reproductive health, building private/public sector partnerships, and producing results using social marketing approaches. He has a demonstrated track record in managing large, multi-faceted global programs involving demand generation, supply chain management, service delivery, advocacy with governments and donor engagement.
Executive Director & Principal Investigator, TCI
Kojo Lokko brings an ideal combination of skills and experience with over twenty years of work in family planning, expertise in scaling up programs especially in reproductive health, building private/public sector partnerships, and producing results using social marketing approaches. He has a demonstrated track record in managing large, multi-faceted global programs involving demand generation, supply chain management, service delivery, advocacy with governments and donor engagement.
Senior Technical Advisor
Ian Salas joined the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in July 2015 as an Assistant Scientist at the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and a Research Economist at the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. Prior to this, he was a David E. Bell Research Fellow at the Center for Population and Development Studies at Harvard University.
Senior Technical Advisor
Ian Salas joined the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in July 2015 as an Assistant Scientist at the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and a Research Economist at the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. Prior to this, he was a David E. Bell Research Fellow at the Center for Population and Development Studies at Harvard University.
Communications & Marketing Senior Advisor
Kim Martin is an accomplished writer/editor and public affairs specialist with 20+ years’ experience at Johns Hopkins. She is also a digital content strategist and has led the development of several websites, while also producing interactive content for the web. She is currently the Communications and Marketing Senior Advisor for The Challenge Initiative, a $170-million program based at the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Communications & Marketing Senior Advisor
Kim Martin is an accomplished writer/editor and public affairs specialist with 20+ years’ experience at Johns Hopkins. She is also a digital content strategist and has led the development of several websites, while also producing interactive content for the web. She is currently the Communications and Marketing Senior Advisor for The Challenge Initiative, a $170-million program based at the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Senior Program Officer II
Victor Igharo is a Senior Program Officer II and Nigeria Team Lead for The Challenge Initiative (TCI) at WHGI. He is a seasoned global health leader and social impact expert helping to translate research into high-impact strategies, policies, and programs that deliver systems-level change at scale through inclusive development models and innovative financing. Prior to his current role, he served as Associate Director-Technical with Axios Foundation Nigeria where he managed the new business and strategic program development portfolio.
Senior Program Officer II
Victor Igharo is a Senior Program Officer II and Nigeria Team Lead for The Challenge Initiative (TCI) at WHGI. He is a seasoned global health leader and social impact expert helping to translate research into high-impact strategies, policies, and programs that deliver systems-level change at scale through inclusive development models and innovative financing. Prior to his current role, he served as Associate Director-Technical with Axios Foundation Nigeria where he managed the new business and strategic program development portfolio.
Senior Program Officer II
Kate Graham is the Senior Program Officer II for The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a Gates Foundation and Bayer AG-funded business unusual approach to providing lifesaving reproductive health and family planning solutions to underserved poor communities in urban areas. Kate provides strategic, technical, and programmatic support to India and Philippine in-country teams to deliver effective and sustainable AYSRH and family planning interventions.
Senior Program Officer II
Kate Graham is the Senior Program Officer II for The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a Gates Foundation and Bayer AG-funded business unusual approach to providing lifesaving reproductive health and family planning solutions to underserved poor communities in urban areas. Kate provides strategic, technical, and programmatic support to India and Philippine in-country teams to deliver effective and sustainable AYSRH and family planning interventions.
Senior Research Data Analyst
Jessica Mirano is a Master of Public Health graduate from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she earned certificates in biostatistics and epidemiology, and in adolescent health. As part of her program, she interned with UNICEF Belize to provide technical support in setting up a national school-based menstrual health survey.
Senior Research Data Analyst
Jessica Mirano is a Master of Public Health graduate from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she earned certificates in biostatistics and epidemiology, and in adolescent health. As part of her program, she interned with UNICEF Belize to provide technical support in setting up a national school-based menstrual health survey.
Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst
Bethany is a Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst for The Challenge Initiative. She has worked in the financial industry for over 10 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. Her prior work experience was working for Campbell County Government, as a Grants Specialist. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors during her free time.
Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst
Bethany is a Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst for The Challenge Initiative. She has worked in the financial industry for over 10 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. Her prior work experience was working for Campbell County Government, as a Grants Specialist. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors during her free time.
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Connected WHGI Global Program
WHGI's Best Practices Scale Up Global Program is committed to locally led and resourced SRHR programs that feature a package of demand generation, service delivery, and advocacy interventions that are adapted to the local context.
TCI is a “business unusual” platform that empowers local governments to rapidly and sustainably scale high-impact practices and other interventions to benefit urban poor communities.