“CHAMPS CELEBRATES 10 YEARS HIGHLIGHTING ADVANCES IN REDUCING CHILD MORTALITY”

The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a high-level international meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the theme “Celebrating 10 Years of CHAMPS: Advancing Knowledge and Saving Lives,” the event brought together scientists from nine sites across Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as government representatives, international organizations, and public health professionals.

Created to understand and combat the causes of stillbirths and deaths in children under five, CHAMPS has transformed the global health landscape. Using innovative technologies such as Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), combined with rigorous surveillance methods and active community engagement, the network has produced crucial data to inform evidence-based public health policies.

Over the past decade, the network has become a global reference for generating scientific knowledge on maternal and child health. The evidence produced by CHAMPS has guided public policies, clinical strategies, and community practices in countries with high child mortality rates, particularly in Africa and South Asia.

During the meeting, the Principal Investigator of CHAMPS in Mozambique, Dr. Inácio Mandomando, highlighted the contribution of the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in strengthening epidemiological surveillance and supporting the national commitment to improving child survival.

The international meeting in Nairobi also featured discussions on the CHAMPS Network’s strategic objectives for 2026–2030. These discussions led to the identification of key priorities to enhance the network’s impact on global child health. Among the main strategic pillars were:

• Deepening scientific investigations into the root causes of child mortality;

• Expanding the standardization of protocols across participating sites;

• Strengthening collaboration among local and international partners;

• Investing in the mobilization of new financial resources to complement CHAMPS’ ongoing efforts and activities;

• Improving operational efficiency in program implementation;

• Aligning CHAMPS goals with each country’s health priorities;

• Reaffirming a renewed commitment to protecting and promoting child health.

Dr. Cynthia Whitney, Executive Director of the CHAMPS Program, emphasized the importance of continuous and collaborative engagement: “CHAMPS is more than a surveillance platform – it is a community of passionate scientists, healthcare professionals, and partners committed to ensuring that every child counts. Our dedication to reducing child mortality remains as strong today as it was at the start.”

The event was attended by representatives from leading institutions, including Ministries of Health, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), CDC Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hasso Plattner Institute, the World Health Organization (WHO), and various international universities and research centers.

The meeting reaffirmed the value of global partnerships and local ownership in promoting sustainable solutions to child health challenges.

As CHAMPS celebrates its tenth anniversary, the network looks confidently toward the next decade, steadfast in its mission: to transform every piece of data collected into action and ensure that no preventable child death goes unnoticed.