Air pollution and heat effects on pregnant women and young children in Zimbabwe
Official title: CHaracterizing Effects of Air Quality In Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: The CHEAQI-MNCH Research Project
Funded at Centre/sexual Hlth/hiv Aid Res/zimbabwe · NIH-11397924 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at how air pollution and unusually hot weather affect the health of pregnant women, newborns, and children under 11 in Zimbabwe.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Centre/sexual Hlth/hiv Aid Res/zimbabwe NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Harare, Zimbabwe) |
| Project start | September 14, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $21,631 |
| NIH project number | 3U01ES036146-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397924 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant women and families with children under 11 who live in Harare or other participating communities in Zimbabwe and are willing to take part in air monitoring and health follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the study areas, who have low exposure to air pollution and heat, or who are unwilling to share health information or samples are unlikely to receive direct benefits from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will measure air pollution and temperature where you live during pregnancy and thereafter and collect basic health information about mothers, newborns, and young children. The team will use sensors and existing weather data together with medical and survey data to link pollution and heat exposure to outcomes like miscarriages, stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and child health. The study will follow pregnant women and their babies and also consider social factors such as poverty, food and water security, and access to care. Advanced data methods will help fill gaps where ground air-quality sensors are limited.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help target public health actions and clinical guidance to better protect pregnant women and children from harmful air pollution and heat exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Research in high-income countries has linked pollution and heat to worse birth and child health, but detailed, region-specific studies in sub-Saharan Africa are limited, so this work is relatively new for the region.
Where this research is happening
-
Centre/sexual Hlth/hiv Aid Res/zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makanga, Prestige Tatenda — Centre/sexual Hlth/hiv Aid Res/zimbabwe
- Study coordinator: Makanga, Prestige Tatenda
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.