Latest news from the REACH Network of African-led research institutions, Ministries of Health, policy advocates, and implementation partners working together to reduce preventable child mortality through evidence-based, equitable, and scalable solutions.

We have watched roads disappear under water, turning into rivers in a matter of hours. 

Even more worrying is the number of children we have met who have never seen a healthcare provider. No vaccinations. No access to basic nutrition. 

These are the children REACH exists to serve. 

But getting to them is becoming harder. Accessibility is a growing problem, made worse by climate change and conflict. Despite this, our teams continue to push forward. 

REACH has always been about the reality of the field, and it always will be.

I know that Mali is not the only country facing these challenges, and this newsletter shares updates from across the Network, highlighting all the incredible work that is being done, often in the most challenging circumstances.

You can read here about the ongoing work of the AVENIR team in Niger, and their rapidly-expanding mass drug administration programme, which is now routinely reaching millions of children and covering almost the whole of the country. 

Similarly, field work to establish the measures and targets which allow us to monitor and gauge the success of our interventions is ongoing, and the Mali and Niger teams recently conducted extensive Mortality Surveillance surveys. You can read about their vital, painstaking work, here. 

Just as important as the data-driven and field-tested work that we do is that people get to hear about it. 

The REACH Network recently participated in the Child Survival Forum in Maputo, Mozambique, in a breakout session focussed on integrated interventions for child survival.

This session showcased the REACH programme as an opportunity to create an integrated platform for child survival which is dedicated to reaching the most vulnerable children.  

When we align and integrate immunization, nutrition and community health delivery platforms, we improve access and save lives.

My thanks go to Dr. Lynda Farma-Grant (Sierra Leone), Dr. Amina Mohammed (Nigeria) and Dr. Amadou Sidibé (Mali), who provided important insights into the ways in which their countries are leading on integration for child survival.

We are also proud that the REACH Network’s Costing sub-group has finalized its harmonized costing standards.

The group’s consolidated Harmonization Report is now available to members for review and is a significant step forward in our efforts to promote cost-effective, scalable interventions – as well as in ensuring that REACH interventions are as attractive as possible to governments wishing to participate in the REACH programme of azithromycin for child survival. 

The Costing sub-group will now switch its focus to bridging the gap between economic evaluation and advocating for the REACH intervention as a cost-effective package for reducing child mortality. 

Looking ahead, preparations are underway for the REACH AMR Data Review Meeting, set for 17 and 18 November 2025.

This gathering will bring together national teams, global experts, and the new Independent Advisory Panel on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to review surveillance data and ensure that REACH administers azithromycin responsibly, sustainably, and in such a way as to safeguard the efficacy of azithromycin in the face of the growing threat of AMR.

REACH Network members can read all the relevant documentation here.