News

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

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?