New publications from CHAMPS researchers in Ethiopia focus on causes of under-five stillbirth and death both across the CHAMPS network and in Hararghe, Ethiopia, where neural tube defects are especially high.

Largely preventable, these birth defects can occur from a lack of folate in the diets of childbearing women. The World Health Assembly passed a resolution in May, 2023 urging the acceleration of micronutrient fortification globally to prevent nutrition deficiencies. CHAMPS findings emphasize the urgency of this resolution to improve maternal health and save lives.

Click below to read these articles and the World Health Assembly resolution

Neural tube defects as a cause of death among stillbirths, infants, and children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia: an analysis of the CHAMPS network

Causes of stillbirth and death among children younger than 5 years in eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia: a population-based post-mortem study

New WHA resolution to accelerate efforts on food micronutrient fortification