Introduction Malnutrition contributes to 45% of all childhood deaths globally, but these modelled estimates lack direct measurements in countries with high malnutrition and under-5 mortality rates. We investigated malnutrition’s role in infant and child deaths in the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network. Methods We analysed CHAMPS data from seven sites (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, […]
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Etiologies and comorbidities of meningitis deaths in children under 5 years in high-mortality settings: Insights from the CHAMPS Network in the post-pneumococcal vaccine era
Background The role of meningitis in causing deaths and in children under 5 is unclear, especially since widespread use of vaccines to prevent common causes of meningitis. Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) uses post-mortem minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) and ante-mortem data to explore death causes. We aimed to assess meningitis’s contribution to […]
Perceptions and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures in Southern and Central regions of Mozambique: A quantitative in-person household survey in the districts of Manhiça and Quelimane
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted countries to swiftly implement rigorous preventive measures on a population-wide scale worldwide. However, in low-income countries like Mozambique this was difficult, coupled with a generalised lack of knowledge on how the population understood and complied with these measures. This study assessed community perceptions and implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures recommended by […]
A novel virulent core genome multilocus sequence type CT 11424 of Listeria monocytogenes isolate causing stillbirth in Bangladesh
Background Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can lead to severe pregnancy outcomes. This study reports the clinical and genomic characteristics of a Listeria-mediated stillbirth identified in January 2022 through the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project in Bangladesh. The Lm-BD-CHAMPS-01 isolate was recovered from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a male stillborn. […]
Investigating the role of cytomegalovirus as a cause of stillbirths and child deaths in low and middle-income countries through postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling
Background There is paucity of information on the role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection as a cause of stillbirths or childhood deaths in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). We investigated attribution of CMV-disease in the causal pathway to stillbirths and deaths in children <5 years of age in seven LMICs participating in the Child Health and Mortality […]
Postmortem point-of care hemoglobin testing is feasible and potentially accurate among children in South Africa
Anemia is an important cause of child morbidity and mortality. Postmortem point-of-care hemoglobin testing is a potential method for assessing anemia at death, but its reliability has not been extensively studied. We aimed to assess the feasibility and validity of postmortem point-of-care hemoglobin assessment using HemoCue in the setting of a child mortality surveillance program […]
Household Vulnerability and Coping Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bamako, Mali: Assessing Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Household Hardships
Background COVID-19 resulted in vast disruption to life in the 21st century as governments implemented containment measures to quell disease spread. We assessed knowledge of local interventions and household coping strategies used to attenuate the impact of household hardships. We further examined associations between household and community characteristics with household hardships. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional household survey […]
Neurological Symptoms in Sick Children Preceding Death and Correlation with Postmortem Diagnosis: Results from CHAMPS Mortality Surveillance Network (2016-2022)
Abstract Background: The emergence of acute neurological manifestations in children necessitates immediate intervention. Despite low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing the highest burden of neurological diseases, there is a scarcity of diagnostic and therapeutic resources. Here we characterize the association between clinical phenotypes, premortem management, and final confirmed causes of death in children under-5 who […]
Post-mortem investigation of role of endemic human coronaviruses (HCoV-NL63, OC43, 229E and HKU-1) in the causal pathway to death amongst children under five in low- and middle-income countries: findings from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS)
Abstract Background: Endemic human coronaviruses (HCoV-229E, HKU1, NL63, and OC43) are common causes of mild or asymptomatic respiratory infections in children but are considered rare causes of death. Methods: We evaluated paediatric deaths from January 2017 to December 2022. A panel of experts determined the cause of death (CoD) by reviewing available data, including pathological […]
Laying the foundations for high-quality mortality surveillance in Sierra Leone: Early learnings from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network
Abstract Background More than four million child deaths occur annually; most are neither adequately documented nor investigated. The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program was launched in Sierra Leone (SL) to generate high-quality data to determine definitive causes of stillbirths and under-five mortality (U5M) to inform decision-makers. Despite the multiple challenges of a […]