The array of pathogens responsible for the disproportionate number of childhood deaths that occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is not fully defined. The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network is implementing innovative laboratory methods at partner institutes in these regions to fill this information gap. Dramatic reductions in childhood morbidity and mortality associated with individual organisms, including polio, tetanus, measles, human immunodeficiency virus, and malaria [1], have been achieved through successful targeted public health intervention strategies. Identifying and assessing the burden of other specific etiologic agents is a key step to continue progress in reducing childhood mortality. Such information can be used to strengthen existing public health measures such as vaccination, antimicrobial treatment guidelines, and appropriate infection control practices, and to prioritize the development of new tools and strategies.

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Development and Implementation of Multiplex TaqMan Array Cards for Specimen Testing at Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Site Laboratories

Authors: Maureen H Diaz, Jessica L Waller, M Jordan Theodore, Nishi Patel, Bernard J Wolff, Alvaro J Benitez, Timothy Morris, Pratima L Raghunathan, Robert F Breiman, Cynthia G Whitney, Dianna M Blau, Jonas M Winchell