"This summer I interned with the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s (CHAI) global vaccines team focused on improving COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization applications in 14 program countries. I was fortunate to work on several diverse projects supporting country teams from Nigeria to Laos, and worked to meet donor objectives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. My efforts in strategy development, applying lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccine distributions, and working with private sector partners to prevent vaccine wastage directly supported CHAI’s goal to reduce the burden of disease in developing countries.

Applying my MBA coursework in strategy formulation, I established a five-year plan to incorporate Oxytocin, a medication used to prevent post-partum hemorrhage, into the vaccine supply chain. Vaccine programs are often better funded than other public health commodities, and we aimed to leverage all resources available to increase service delivery. I led the Oxytocin integration strategy development plan, met with country teams to determine feasibility, and presented findings to senior leadership. The strategy development plan will ultimately be incorporated into CHAI’s next grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Applying coursework in business strategies for solving social problems, I advocated to increase third party logistics solutions for distribution challenges, hoping to improve and leverage the private sector to solve social sector problems. On a separate project, I worked directly with equipment manufacturers to analyze and report results from a vaccines pilot in Nigeria. When transporting vaccines, it is vital to ensure they remain within the appropriate temperature envelope, avoiding not only warming, but also freezing. CHAI worked with manufacturers to create a freeze-preventive carrier that kept ice packs out of contact with the vaccines. By interfacing with manufacturers, I was able translate concepts between public and private stakeholders

As for most, COVID-19 incorporated a significant challenge into my internship experience. Simply by the nature of a remote internship, it was more difficult to connect with my team and understand the on-the-ground dynamics. It required me to schedule additional meetings to fully understand their experience and catch up on circumstances as quickly as possible. Further, there was simply no opportunity to bump into someone” I had to be deliberate about requesting mentorship and scheduling calls for professional development.

Searching for a way to turn this challenge into an opportunity, I developed and led a webinar on managing COVID-19 vaccine influxes and multiple vaccine products in a supply chain. Topics ranged from procurement and allocation decisions to managing data systems for vaccine tracking. By sourcing inputs from our country teams and ensuring we were aligned with the World Health Organization, GAVI, and COVAX guidance, we aimed to solidify institutional knowledge and assist our countries that are still early in the distribution processes.

My internship experience afforded the opportunity to put my MBA lessons into application. I learned the creative means of public/private partnerships and how an organization like CHAI can assist, subsidize, and advise both governments and private sector actors to smooth market forces and ultimately ensure services get to the beneficiary. On my strategy work, I partnered with former consultants who taught me valuable frameworks for working through large and potentially unclear problems. On a day-to-day basis, I reflected on my remote work preferences and remained an active observer of team and organizational culture. I am very fortunate to have spent my summer at the Clinton Health Access Initiative alongside a team of mission-driven development professionals. "