STAR Plays Critical Role in Implementing and Maintaining Rapid, Global Response to COVID

During the COVID pandemic, the Public Health Institute’s Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) program served as a critical partner with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), working alongside the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to implement a rapid and global response per the United States presidential directives. Critical response efforts during the pandemic included:

• Timely and technical assistance for the deployment of thousands of donated ventilators around the world. Read more about this work.
• The development and promotion of COVID-related Test-to-Treat (T2T) protocols and the planned review of pilot implementation of those protocols.
• Developing and deploying new online platforms for delivery of critical care educational materials relevant to resource-variable settings. Read more about this work.

In 2022, STAR worked closely with UCSF to continue supporting USAID’s response to COVID-19, shifting their focus slightly from technical assistance around emergency, critical care and oxygen support, to developing and promoting global goods for appropriate management of care for people with COVID-19. During this same period, STAR and UCSF continued to build and maintain online knowledge hub portals, such as Open Critical Care: A COVID-19 Guidelines Dashboard.

STAR, UCSF, other implementing partners and USAID worked collectively to develop the Test-to-Treat (T2T) algorithm under the T2T strategy to guide oral treatments for people who test positive with COVID. They developed a Test-to-Treat Quantification Tool with a calculator which was required for the roll out of the T2T antiviral program. The calculator allows for users to estimate the number of courses of oral antivirals that might be required during a calendar period, based on infection rates.

In 2022, STAR supported the development of an online Oxygen Encyclopedia as a peer-reviewed resource on respiratory care topics. In addition, a COVID Protocols and Guidelines Dashboard, which includes guidelines and protocols relevant to resource variable settings, was launched by UCSF and STAR. The dashboard has evolved relative to the pandemic and had more than 178,000 users from over 200 countries since its launch.

STAR’s continuity of progress and ability to achieve planned programmatic goals and maintain critical support to partners, fellows and interns, is due in part by PHI’s ability to provide the operational infrastructure and general support needed for the program.

About STAR

STAR is a global health talent hub that offers paid internships and fellowships at all career levels. STAR builds and strengthens the capacity of diverse global health professionals and organizations to make inclusive, collaborative and innovative contributions to global health. STAR sources and recruits talented individuals (fellows and interns), sub-partners and academic institutions to support significant technical and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility needs of the USAID Global Health Bureau. Through this program, participants are equipped with the skills, tools and immersive experiences at global health organizations and institutions to build their capacity and contribute technical expertise to addressing global health challenges. Learn more about STAR.