By Ishaq Haruna Hardawa
The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project has trained Community Resource Groups in Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State on the prompt notification of deaths among children under five to improve child survival.
CHAMPS is a research-based project that investigates the causes of death among children in its implementing areas to generate evidence that can inform interventions aimed at reducing child mortality.
The project has established a surveillance population of 161,439 people across 25,177 households.
Speaking at the workshop in Bauchi, the project’s Principal Investigator, Professor Muhammad Faruk Bashir, said the reported under-five mortality rate in Bauchi stood at 125 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a national average of 110 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Professor Muhammad Faruk, represented by the project’s Lead for Community Engagement, Dr Jamilu Yaya, explained that CHAMPS is working on more than 150 samples to investigate the causes of child deaths using Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS).
He said the workshop was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate the timely notification of under-five deaths within their communities.
According to him, participants were expected to develop community action points to strengthen collaboration with the project and improve the reporting of child deaths.
The Principal Investigator said more than 90 participants were drawn from Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.
He urged them to pay close attention to the presentations and apply the knowledge gained to improve health outcomes in their communities.
In a presentation on the overview of the CHAMPS project, Dr Magaji Dafi said the workshop aimed to sensitise participants to child health and mortality, mobilise communities for health initiatives, and provide feedback on the project’s achievements and challenges.
Similarly, Dr Faizu, who spoke on the importance of timely notification of under-five deaths, emphasised the need to engage critical stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the project and strengthen efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Some participants commended CHAMPS for organising the sensitisation workshop and pledged their support for the successful implementation of the project in their respective communities.
The theme of the workshop was strengthening community resource groups for prompt and respectful notification of under five deaths to improve Child Survival.