OpenAI Foundation, Common Health Coalition Launch $100M Hepatitis C Initiative

Initial funding will support local collaborations and nonprofit organizations in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana and Massachusetts.

The OpenAI Foundation has committed $100 million to a new public health initiative with the Common Health Coalition to close gaps between disease discovery and treatment delivery, beginning with hepatitis C.

Called the Breakthroughs to Follow-Through (B2F) Initiative, the program will initially seek to help state and local partners at least double hepatitis C cure rates over the next two years across eight participating states and local jurisdictions.

Initial funding will support local collaborations and nonprofit organizations in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana and Massachusetts. The Common Health Coalition will work with local health departments, community organizations and other partners to implement the program.

The initiative will fund the deployment of AI-enabled tools designed to identify patients who have fallen out of care, reduce administrative workloads, strengthen care coordination and improve patient outcomes. Support will also include technical assistance, implementation expertise, cross-jurisdiction learning and program evaluation.

“Effective treatments already exist for hepatitis C and other diseases, yet too many people still aren't receiving them,” said Anna Makanju, head of Civil Society and Philanthropy at the OpenAI Foundation. She said the initiative will explore how AI, implementation expertise and local leadership can help address gaps in healthcare delivery.

Four additional participating jurisdictions are expected to be announced within six months. The program is also planned to expand beyond hepatitis C to HIV prevention, curable cancers and other public health priorities.

Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris, M.D., said the initiative would help the state identify people who have not yet been diagnosed or connected to treatment and support their access to a cure.

The organizations said a comprehensive national strategy is needed to eliminate hepatitis C in the US, pointing to the bipartisan Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026 as one proposed approach.

Dave Chokshi, chair of the Common Health Coalition, said hepatitis C is the initiative’s first target, with the broader effort focused on strengthening the infrastructure needed to connect existing medical breakthroughs with patients who need care.

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