News

CHAMPS Nigeria brings gold standard disease surveillance and data to the fight for child survival August 18, 2026,  ABUJA, NIGERIA — Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and the University of Calabar, in partnership with  State and Federal Health Agencies, today formally launched the national Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Nigeria,  a landmark initiative […]

Read More… from CHAMPS Nigeria Launches National Program to End Preventable Child and Newborn Deaths

On 17 August 2026, a high-powered delegation from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Nigeria Country Team and US Program Office paid a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), where discussions centered on surveillance, laboratory capacity, and the use of mortality data to guide health decisions in […]

Read More… from CHAMPS Leadership Pays Courtesy Visit to Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC)

Nigeria carries one of the world’s heaviest burdens of child mortality — yet a substantial share of those deaths are never registered, and many never leave the community in which they occur. Closing that gap between what happens and what is known was the central theme of a courtesy visit paid by the leadership of […]

Read More… from “Seeing It All Come Together” – CHAMPS Leadership Visits the Special Adviser on Health to the President

On April 23, 2026, Faridpur Medical College (FMC), in collaboration with the expert team from CHAMPS, hosted an integrated teaching session focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical education and healthcare at the FMC Auditorium. Faridpur Medical College Hospital is one of the CHAMPS surveillance facilities in Bangladesh. A total of 384 participants attended the […]

Read More… from CHAMPS Bangladesh Pioneers AI Literacy to Transform Healthcare in Lower-Middle Income Countries

We are pleased to announce the release of our latest white paper, which explores the ethical landscape of child mortality surveillance in Kenya. Developed through the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program, this paper offers a deep dive into the complexities of obtaining voluntary informed consent for Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) in […]

Read More… from White Paper: Navigating Informed Consent in Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Involving Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS): The Kenyan Experience

From May 1 to August 31, 2025, the CHAMPS Mozambique site – Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) hosted John Oluwabori Ayanwale as part of the CHAMPS internship program. John joined the team from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Rwanda. With an MSc in Mathematical Sciences and a specialized focus on Malaria Modelling, […]

Read More… from Intern Spotlight | John Oluwabori Ayanwale : Shaping the Future of Research

From May 2 to September 30, 2025, Aliani Ahamada Saif-Dinne joined the CHAMPS team in Manhiça, Mozambique, contributing to the ongoing research efforts at the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM). Aliani is an MSc in Mathematical Sciences graduate from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Rwanda, specializing in Malaria Modeling. During his five-month […]

Read More… from Intern Spotlight | Aliani Ahamada Saif-Dinne : Shaping the Future of Research

Last summer, the CHAMPS Sierra Leone team was joined by Adewole Odunayo Grace, an intern from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Rwanda. Specializing in Mathematical Epidemiology, Grace spent three months (May 15 – August 31, 2025) applying her technical background to public health surveillance. Her work focused on using mathematical modeling to better […]

Read More… from Intern Spotlight | Adewole Odunayo Grace: Shaping the Future of Research

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