Air pollution and heat effects on pregnant women, newborns, and children in sub‑Saharan Africa
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-11397921 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how air pollution and high temperatures affect the health of pregnant women, newborns, and children up to age 11 in sub‑Saharan Africa.
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) | $84,002 |
| NIH project number | 3U01ES036146-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397921 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are pregnant women and caregivers of children under 11 who live in the study areas in Harare, Zimbabwe or similar sub‑Saharan African communities, especially where air quality or heat exposure is high.
✕Less likely to help
People living outside the study region or those without relevant exposure to air pollution or heat are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be followed during pregnancy and your child tracked after birth while the team measures air pollution and heat in your community. The project combines local air sensors, satellite data, and questionnaires about housing, work, and healthcare access to estimate each person’s exposure. Researchers will link those exposure estimates to outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia. The aim is to find who is most at risk and what data are needed to guide health responses and protective actions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide programs to protect pregnant women and young children from pollution and heat, lowering rates of preterm birth and low birth weight.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies in non‑African settings have linked air pollution and heat to worse birth outcomes, but applying these methods in sub‑Saharan Africa is relatively new because local data are limited.
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.