About Us

We established CHAMPS in Ethiopia in 2017 through the Haraghe Health Research (HHR) partnership, a joint research initiative between Haramaya University (HU) and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The name Hararghe is adapted from the name of the area that covers most of the eastern Oromia, Harar and Dire Dawa areas in Eastern Ethiopia.

This area is a home for highly populated dominantly agrarian
society. Haramaya University is also located in the Hararghe area. CHAMPS remains the biggest project under HHR and following the study findings several other studies were conducted and new studies emerged. HHR works in the advancement of health sciences research through strengthening research and surveillance capacity, ensuring best practices in research and informing policy in maternal and child health in Ethiopia.

HHR is embedded in the College of Health and Medical Sciences at Haramaya University. Its field activities are going in the catchment population of predefined sub-districts in Harar, Kersa, and Haramaya districts in Eastern Ethiopia. In addition, it does its activities in all health facilities in the catchment.

 

Mission

Produce cutting-edge health information for maternal and child health decision making at all levels.

 

Vision

Evidence based best practice in maternal and child health.

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Where we work

HHR works in three sites: in Harari region Harar city, and in Kersa and Haramaya woredas of the Oromia region.

Research Findings

The research findings pass through a vigorous process in finding the cause of death in children under five and disclosing the data to stakeholders working on child health.

How HHR operates

HHR applies various operating methods for the improvement if maternal and child health in the eastern Ethiopia. Its relationship with local and international stakeholders is one of the pillars. Representatives from the community (Community Advisory Board members) watch the research techniques and methodologies from the community’s norms and customs view, while the ethical approvals of the LSHTM and Haramaya University also guide the accuracy and properness of the undertaken studies.

Next step

There are range of data-to-action activities focusing on preventing childhood morbidity and mortality predominantly emanating from the CHAMPS data, that we call data-to-action. Data-to-Action incorporates several activities including the ‘Spine bifida and anencephaly in Ethiopia folate for prevention’ (SALT) project which aims to collaborate with stakeholders to reduce the prevalence of Neural Tube Defects in Ethiopia. The SALT program and other various programs which targeted tackling the causes of morbidity and mortality in women and children.

Directors

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Prof. Anthony Scott

Professor of Vaccine Epidemiology

FRCP FMedSc PI at HHR

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Prof. Nega Assefa


Professor of Reproductive Health Maternal and Child Health, 

Haramaya University Co-PI at HHR

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Parteners

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Address

Haramaya Univeristy College of Health Medical Science, Harar Ethiopia

Call Us

+251258670395

Email Us

info@hararghe.org

location

                             Prof. Anthony Scott

Professor of Vaccine Epidemiology, FRCP FMedSci
HHR PI, LSHTM

   

 

 

Professor Anthony Scott is a British clinician and epidemiologist with an interest in bacterial infectious diseases and vaccination. He trained in clinical medicine at Oxford University and in epidemiology at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and did post-graduate clinical training in Infectious Diseases. Since 1993 he has worked at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya. Since 2013 he has been Professor of Vaccine Epidemiology at LSHTM and co-founded HHR with Professor Nega Assefa and Anna Seale in 2016 as a programme to host the CHAMPS project and encourage research capacity development in Harar. He has worked on clinical vaccine development and impact studies of vaccines against pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, non-typhoidal salmonella, COVID-19 and other pathogens. Professor Scott also has an interest in the aetiology of serious childhood illnesses (e.g. pneumonia) and childhood death. He works on vaccine policy in the policy committees of the UK (JCVI) and WHO (SAGE).

      Prof. Nega Assefa Kassa                   

Professor of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health

HHR  PI, Haramaya University

 

 

 

Professor Nega Assefa (PhD), a high-ranking faculty member and researcher in the College of Health and Medical Sciences and professor of Maternal and child.

Professor Nega received his third-degree education in Public Health (Maternal and Child Health) in the College of Health and Medical Sciences of Haramaya University, and he became the firstborn of the Collage’s PhD program in 2012. His dissertation was titled “Pregnancy rate and outcomes in rural eastern Ethiopia Fetal and Neonatal survival”. Dr. Nega has also obtained a certificate of Executive Program in Global Health Leadership from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.

Professor Nega (PhD) has been serving with perceptible dedication at different capacities in CHMS of Haramaya University since 1993. Besides course offerings, he has been researching and co-researching several maternal health, child and adolescent health, family planning, neonatal and child health, and sexual and reproductive health issues, in partnership with  fellows from several overseas universities and research institutions including Johns Hopkins and Harvard Schools of Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Emory University Global Health Institute, Karolinska Institute and Vienna University in Austria.  Professor Nega mentored students at PhD and master’s levels. He has been supervising and co-supervising 19 PhD students from University of Durban, South Africa, Ghana, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Haramaya Universities. Similarly, he has been also supervising 215 master’s students as a lead advisor and a co-supervisor.

Professor Nega, collaborating with his colleagues, has been able to secure 11 grants contributing to advancing health sciences, and building human resources and infrastructures. Together with his colleagues, through the CHAMPS data to action grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other granting agencies, he created an opportunity for eight PhD scholarships at the LSHTM and through the CHAMPS pregnancy surveillance availed human power and equipment to health facilities in the CHAMPS catchment areas of Harar, Kersa and Haramaya districts. Professor Nega is a co-principal investigator for the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) – Ethiopia project, which started in 2017.

Prior to CHAMPS Professor Nega led Harar and Haramaya Health and Demographic Surveillance (HDSS) systems, one of the largest surveillance system in Africa. He was leading these facilities for more than 12 years at different sites in Kersa, Harar and Haramaya. Since 2018, he has led the inception and running of Hararghe Health Research (HHR) partnerships, a research collaborative effort between Haramaya University and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which has led to the birth of a state-of-the-art research laboratory that conducts microbiology, molecular diagnostics and histopathology and provides diagnostic services for Hiwot Fana University Hospital.