CHAMPS Co-design Workshop: Stakeholders Convene to Shape Future Priorities
- FHS Communications
The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) hosted various stakeholders for its co-design workshop to reflect on the impact, communications, and engagement strategy (ICE). This was geared towards leveraging the groups’ experience and expertise. Together, the group of representatives from NGOs, mothers, community councillors, and government departments such as COGTA (Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) and the Department of Health (DoH) and the ICE team designed CHAMPS’ ICE strategy. Over 60 members of this collaboration mapped out the key focus areas that will be implemented over the next five years, ensuring that the organisation remains responsive to the needs of Soweto, the community it served by this initiative.
The top priority focus areas identified by the collaborative included:
- Effective use of the Road-To-Health Booklet
- Growing Healthy Families
- Care for the premature baby
The workshop served as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration, fostering an inclusive environment where all voices can be heard. Participants engaged in meaningful discussions to identify critical issues and develop strategic priorities to guide CHAMPS’ initiatives.
“This workshop is an incredible opportunity to harness the collective insights of our community of stakeholders,” said Prof. Ziyaad Dangor, Research Director at Wits University’s Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics (WITS VIDA) research unit. “The reason we’ve asked everyone here is to guide us, guide us in the next phase of CHAMPS. What are we going to do to continue to make a difference?”
Professor Ziyaad Dangor speaking at the co-design workshop
Participants engaged in interactive sessions designed to facilitate open communication and idea sharing. Key topics included care packages for families (including pregnant women and care for premature babies) and tools for caregivers.
“We’ve collected data on how to prevent deaths of young children, now we want to use this data to help grow healthy families,” said Dangor.
The outcomes of these discussions will play a crucial role in shaping CHAMPS’ strategic plan, which emphasizes collaboration and community empowerment by giving stakeholders such as mothers in Soweto ownership of the organisation's direction.
网易体育 CHAMPS:
The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network, funded by the Gates Foundation, is a pioneering global health initiative aimed at reducing child mortality in regions with the world’s highest rates of preventable deaths. Operating across 20 catchment areas in 9 countries across Africa and Southeast Asia, CHAMPS combines cutting-edge research and community-based mortality surveillance to generate critical data that drives life-saving interventions.
By identifying definitive causes of child deaths, including stillbirths, CHAMPS fills essential knowledge gaps that hinder effective health responses. This long-term program applies advanced diagnostics, laboratory innovation, and community engagement to deliver actionable insights on the leading causes of mortality. CHAMPS collaborates with local and global partners, swiftly sharing open-access data to support evidence-based solutions that improve child health outcomes. Learn more: www.champshealth.org
网易体育 WITS VIDA
WITS VIDA – The Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, is a renowned African–led research unit established in 1995. The unit is focused on improving health outcomes. WITS VIDA conducts cutting edge research that addresses pressing public health challenges in Africa and across the world. The institute collaborates with local communities, government agencies, and international organisations to implement evidence-based interventions and inform local and global policy recommendations. Learn more: https://wits-vida.org/