Diagram showing the CHEAQI-MNCH research process, including exposure data, maternal, newborn and child health data, data science methods, research outputs, policy action, capacity building and early warning systems.

Characterizing effects of air quality in maternal, newborn and child health (CHEAQI–MNCH) in sub-Saharan Africa: a research protocol

by | Jan 29, 2026

This research protocol describes the CHEAQI–MNCH project, which forms part of the HE²AT Center’s broader efforts to strengthen data science capacity and generate policy-relevant evidence for health in Africa. Published in the Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy, the study will develop and validate air pollution proxy indicators using data from Kenya, The Gambia and Mozambique to examine the impacts of air quality on maternal, newborn and child health outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa.

By combining geospatial methods, machine learning and existing cohort and clinical trial data, the project aims to address critical evidence gaps in settings where air quality monitoring remains limited. The project also seeks to build a sustainable data science ecosystem, strengthen analytical capacity among early-career researchers, and support knowledge translation through collaboration with partners, policymakers and data providers.

Read more:

Munthali, L., Mushore, T. D., Nyoni, H. B., et al. (2026). Characterizing effects of air quality in maternal, newborn and child health (CHEAQI–MNCH) in sub-Saharan Africa: A research protocol. Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy, 6, e2026004.

Recent Publications

Our Research in Print: HE²AT Center Publications

by | Aug 14, 2026

Over the past five years, the HE²AT Center set out to answer a simple but urgent question: how does extreme heat affect health across Africa — and what can we do about it? That work is now reflected in a growing body of published research. Every paper on this list represents months of fieldwork, data wrangling, and collaboration across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire and beyond. As the project draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back at what this collaboration has produced.

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