News

Neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida and anencephaly, are severe congenital conditions affecting the brain and spine.  Nearly all NTDs are a result of low folic acid levels in pregnant women during very early pregnancy.  While approximately 65 countries have implemented mandatory folic acid fortification of staple grains to combat NTDs, over 100 countries […]

Read More… from Ethiopia Takes a Bold Step: Launching a Unified Strategy for Double-Fortified Salt to Prevent Neural Tube Defects

In a significant stride towards enhancing global health communication, the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program, in collaboration with the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), successfully hosted its inaugural StoryHelper Workshop on Digital Storytelling for Global Health. Held virtually via Zoom from July 14th to 17th, 2025, the four-day intensive workshop equipped communications officers […]

Read More… from CHAMPS and HPI Pioneer Digital Storytelling for Global Health Communication

Through advances in how researchers collect and analyze global health data, we now know much more about what kills children, where these deaths occur, and why some kids are more vulnerable than others. By putting those insights to work, we’ve been able to save lives. […]

Read More… from The breakthrough that transformed the Gates Foundation

The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network commemorated its 10th anniversary with a landmark gathering held in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 27 to May 1, 2025. Convened under the theme “Celebrating 10 Years of CHAMPS: Advancing Knowledge and Saving Lives,” the event brought together CHAMPS scientists from 9 sites across Africa and Southeast Asia […]

Read More… from CHAMPS Network Marks 10 Years of Impact: Advancing Knowledge, Saving Lives

A new study indicates that a significant number of Kenyan children under the age of five are dying from hypoxia, a condition where the body lacks sufficient oxygen. This finding comes from a peer-reviewed study by CHAMPS, a global health program run by Emory University in partnership with Kemri and other organizations. The study highlights the critical need for interventions to address preventable causes of child mortality in Kenya. […]

Read More… from Revealed: The diseases killing children under the age of five years in Kenya

The body of a 1-year-old boy lay on a bare examination table in Soweto, South Africa—looking precious and small, heartbreakingly beyond help. In the dimly lit room, two researchers did their work methodically and in silence, taking samples from the child’s brain, lungs, and liver with a needle and swab, and then carefully packaging them to be sent for testing. Then the child’s body was gently lifted into a postmortem pouch, to be sent for a proper burial. […]

Read More… from How the Gates Foundation is solving a tragic mystery: Why do children and mothers die prematurely?

[Atlanta, USA/ Potsdam, Germany] – Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), and Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) announce a new partnership aimed at applying technology and research to advance the understanding of causes of stillbirths and child deaths in Africa. This collaboration will focus on three key pillars: technology transfer to incorporate AI and other digital […]

Read More… from CHAMPS and HPI Partner to Strengthen Digital Health Solutions

CHAMPS not only generates data on child mortality, but we also share our findings to empower prevention strategies. Our team members frequently share CHAMPS data and lessons learned with the wider global health community through international conferences and forums. In the last few months, CHAMPS scientists presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, European Society For Paediatric […]

Read More… from CHAMPS Scientists Present at PAS2023, ESPID2023 and the 2nd Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia

The CHAMPS network met on March 13-17th, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting brought together 160 participants from 14 countries, including CHAMPS team members from network sites, local health leaders, National Public Health Institute Directors, our Global Partners Board, Senior Program Managers from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other interested parties. The Ethiopia CHAMPS team from Haramaya University hosted the meeting. Thank you to everyone who joined us virtually or in-person! […]

Read More… from CHAMPS 2023 Network Meeting Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia