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Stergachis co-edited maternal immunization roadmap for Gates Foundation & GAPPS

UWSOP Associate Dean Andy Stergachis co-edited the “Maternal Immunization Safety Monitoring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Roadmap for Program Development” for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, which was featured on the Gates Foundation blog, Impatient Optimists.

The first 28 days of life (the neonatal period) are the most vulnerable for a child’s survival. Worldwide, almost half of all deaths in children under five years old occur during the first 28 days of life. Despite progress in recent decades, neonatal mortality remains the highest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and 99% of all neonatal deaths occur in LMICs.

The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and input from a broad array of coauthors and stakeholders, developed a landmark report that summarizes the literature and existing systems for monitoring the safety of maternal immunizations in LMICs. The report includes an analysis of MNCH surveillance in LMICs, identifies gaps, and outlines a roadmap for program development and implementation of safety monitoring for maternal immunizations in LMICs. This landscape analysis was a catalytic process, demonstrating the breadth of efforts in this area and bringing together a range of organizations and stakeholders from industry, academia, regulatory agencies, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, WHO, UNICEF, and the maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) organizations to develop a cohesive strategy.

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