Gut Health and Child Survival
March 24, 2026
Primary Results of the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Study on Shigella Burden and Antibiotic Resistance in Children Published in The Lancet Global Health
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Publication, Research
The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) study, funded by the Gates Foundation, has found that Shigella—a leading cause of childhood diarrhea worldwide—poses a far greater threat than previously described. The study documents both a substantial disease burden in young children and rapidly increasing resistance to commonly used, and recommended, antibiotics.
These findings, now published by The Lancet Global Health, underscore the need for vaccine development and strengthened antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring globally.
March 4, 2026
Research Scientist Dieudonne Hakizimana receives award to improve infant health outcomes in Ethiopia
Categories: Awards, Gut Health and Child Survival, Research
Congratulations to Dieudonne Hakizimana, Global WACh Research Scientist and PhD Candidate in the UW Department of Global Health, and collaborators of Strengthening Opportunities through Partnership in Ethiopia (SCOPE) for receiving a UW Global Innovation Fund Award for “Assessing post-trial sustainment of a faith leader–led initiative to improve newborn and infant health in Ethiopia and identifying factors influencing sustainment to inform scale-up and long-term planning.”
This award will support a rigorous post-trial assessment of SCOPE’s LAUNCH (Leading Advancements for the Uptake of Newborn and Community Health) intervention that paired Ethiopian Orthodox priests with community health workers (CHWs) to deliver newborn and infant health education to families.
The trial explored how linking religious leaders with front-line health workers may catalyze and empower local communities to improve health outcomes for newborns. Read the LAUNCH protocol paper published in September 2024. (more…)
February 24, 2026
Kikundi Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Community of Practice members convene in Togo
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Research
Kikundi members include government health officials from multiple African countries, who convened in Togo
Dr. Koko Marin WOTOBE, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, officially opened the visit, which underscored Togo’s commitment of leadership in NTD program integration.
The participants explored real-world approaches to integrating NTD services within health systems, sharing lessons across countries, and co-developing a roadmap for Kikundi’s long-term impact. Lincoln Pothan, Global WACh Data Manager & Analyst, was among the participants and contributed to the cross-country collaboration.
Follow Kikundi on LinkedIn to stay informed of their incredible work.
February 23, 2026
MIND study collaborators attend 3rd annual meeting for child development research in Kenya
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, HIV and Co-Infections, Implementation Science, Mental Health, Research
Investigators and administrators from multiple Kenyan and U.S. institutions who support the MIND study.
In early February, nearly 40 collaborators affiliated with the “Drug, microbiome, and immune determinants of birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with exposure to HIV infection (MIND) study” attended the 3rd annual MIND meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. Launched in early 2023, MIND leveraged three birth cohorts in Kenya to build new studies of neurodevelopment. In addition, MIND supports two “Cores” that provide access to technologies, services, training, and consultation to successfully execute the studies, particularly focused on neurodevelopmental assessments. (more…)
February 17, 2026
Dr. Kirk Tickell receives award to contribute to Kenyan national surveillance of highly drug-resistant organisms
Categories: Awards, Gut Health and Child Survival
Congratulations to Dr. Kirk Tickell, Research Assistant Professor in Global Health, for receiving a UW Royalty Research Award for “Epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli from children being discharged from referral hospitals in Kenya.” Over a 12-month span, this study aims to contribute to the Kenyan national surveillance of emerging highly drug-resistant organisms. (more…)
December 19, 2025
Spotlight on Dr. Arianna Means named in Top 10 UW public health stories of 2025
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Research
Photo credit: Elizar Mercado
A spotlight on Dr. Arianna Means’s (Associate Professor, UW Global Health and implementation scientist) contributions to prevent childhood illnesses around the world was named in the UW School of Public Health’s top 10 public health stories of 2025. Congratulations to Dr. Means on this recognition!
Read the May 2025 spotlight: Arianna Means shares why preventing childhood illnesses is imperative for global health
December 1, 2025
Global WACh Certificate Student Elizabeth Momoh investigates anthropometric recovery to improve health outcomes for malnourished children
Categories: Certificate Program, Gut Health and Child Survival, Research, students
As part of the Global WACh Graduate Certificate Program’s required 90-hour capstone, Elizabeth Momoh, a 5th year PhD Candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Global WACh Graduate Certificate Student, is investigating how children’s anthropometric recovery from severe acute malnutrition aligns with the recovery of their immune system. In malnourished children, regaining physical growth and development (typically measured by weight and height) often happens faster than regaining their body’s ability to fight infectious diseases. It is critical for researchers to understand whether children who appear nutritionally recovered still have hidden immune problems that could put them at higher risk of becoming malnourished again.
(more…)
November 14, 2025
New grant supports Kenyan health facilities reduce maternal and perinatal mortality
Categories: Awards, Gut Health and Child Survival, Implementation Science, Research
Principal Investigator Dr. Arianna Means; Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. John Kinuthia and Dr. Unger; Research Scientist Dr. Sarah Hicks
Congratulations to Dr. Arianna Means (Associate Professor, Global Health) for receiving a NIH award for the AMANI (Accelerating Maternal And Neonatal survIval) trial. Study collaborators include Dr. John Kinuthia (Kenyatta National Hospital), Dr. Jennifer Unger (Brown University), and Dr. Sarah Hicks (Research Scientist, Global WACh).
AMANI will test a practice facilitation package (of training materials, tools, and other resources) that could help stakeholders better understand the circumstances surrounding maternal and perinatal deaths, leading to improved quality of care and reduced mortality among mothers and infants.
AMANI builds on prior research identifying critical issues contributing to neonatal deaths during health facility delivery and identifying factors influencing guideline adherence, which led to the development of a practice facilitation package designed to strengthen facilities’ capacity to address care quality and implementation gaps. (more…)
November 6, 2025
Global WACh visits Seattle Children’s Hospital for sepsis research lecture and networking
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Research, Talks and Events
On October 23rd, the UW Pediatrics Global Health Collaborative (GHC) invited Global WACh team members to Seattle Children’s Hospital for an engaging morning of knowledge-sharing and networking. We value these interactions with other researchers for opportunities to share our work, find potential collaborators, and stay current within our fields of study.
The hospital’s Provider Grand Round lecture series invited a distinguished pediatric healthcare expert to present their work and future directions to improve childhood health outcomes.
“From Bedside to Bench to Back: Pediatric Sepsis in Resource-Constrained Settings” (Click here to watch)
Dr. Teresa Bleakly Kortz, MD, MS, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in Critical Care Medicine
Director of the Institute for Global Health Sciences Affiliate Program
Director of the Pediatric Global Health Scholars Pathway at the University of California, San Francisco
October 20, 2025
Watch the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella surveillance study results webinar
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Research, Talks and Events
On October 8th, researchers from the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study, conducted across seven countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, presented their findings. This 90-minute webinar featured short presentations from EFGH investigators on key findings and the implications for Shigella vaccines and clinical management.
The Burden, Consequences, and Cost of Shigella Diarrhea in Young Children — and Implications for Shigella Vaccines (Click here to watch)
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the rationale and methods of the EFGH study
- Examine data on Shigella disease burden, antimicrobial resistance, consequences, and cost
- Discuss key design considerations for future Shigella vaccine trials and eventual vaccine introduction
To learn more about EFGH, visit their website at https://depts.washington.edu/efgh/
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