GAPPS

Preterm birth and stillbirth are complex local and global health problems that require an interdisciplinary research approach and an international commitment. Collaboration drives our work. We bring people from different fields together to generate innovative approaches to understanding pregnancy, preterm birth and stillbirth. We advocate for evidence driven treatment, but know that ultimately, prevention is key.

Only by preventing preterm birth and stillbirth can we make significant progress toward having every birth be a healthy birth. This requires research, investment and global collaboration. Our key objectives are: 1)To accelerate evidence into action. 2) Advance preterm birth research. 3) Advance stillbirth as a global health agenda.

The prevalence of preterm birth and stillbirth constitutes a global health crisis resulting in millions of maternal and newborn deaths every year, as well as untold economic and social costs related to health problems for those that survive. Yet surprisingly little is known about the causes of these adverse birth outcomes.

This knowledge gap is one of the greatest barriers to developing effective diagnostic, prevention and treatment interventions. Few practical interventions exist, and without data, researchers cannot conduct the studies that could lead to life-saving prevention techniques and therapies. In addition to convening global scientific experts around the challenge to methodically study pregnancy and early newborn health, GAPPS is working with partners to close these gaps by:

* Leading global harmonization efforts to strengthen perinatal research
* Establishing standard definitions and classifications for preterm birth and stillbirth
* Founding a widely accessible biorepository focused on maternal and newborn health
* Building research capacity in low- and middle-income countries
* Establishing ethical guidelines for pregnancy-related research in low- and middle-income countries
* Working to inform global policy and advocacy efforts for preterm birth and stillbirth
* Discovering and promoting basic and translational science in preterm birth and maternal/child health
* Defining the global burden of prematurity and stillbirth
* Developing evidence-based interventions appropriate to low-resource settings to reduce the burden of maternal and neonatal disease

This is not a job for one or two isolated organizations. It's a comprehensive global effort uniting researchers, healthcare institutions, citizen's groups, global health advocates, policy-makers, families and mothers.

Over the past 10 years, GAPPS has built a reputation for powerful science and transparent collaboration. We bring to our work a breadth and depth of expertise in global health and development, a collaborative evidence-based approach, a trusted reputation with both funders and researchers, and the ability to operate a range of research programs, such as the collection of pregnancy data and biologic specimens. GAPPS collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders including families, foundations, corporations, hospitals and universities, governments and NGOs, as well as other research organizations.

Our staff and partners have expertise across the research spectrum, from systems biology to implementations science and applied public health work, and our novel approach to large-scale research provides funders with maximum impact for their investment.

Ten years ago, it was rare to hear parents share the story of their stillborn child, or for parents to become vocal advocates following the birth of their premature baby. Today, through research, social media, videos, and grassroots advocacy, stillbirth and preterm birth are much more likely to be acknowledged as legitimate crises. We're proud of the work that is being done by networks and partnerships around the world, and we're optimistic that we can get ever closer to making every birth a healthy birth.

Over the past decade, our work has included multiple large-scale projects targeting evidence-based approaches to understanding causes of preterm birth and stillbirths and preventing these outcomes. We funded 13 projects through the Preventing Preterm Birth Initiative (PPB) which have revealed important biological mechanisms for preterm birth and novel targets for prevention. Our international field sites in Zambia and Bangladesh have enrolled nearly 4,000 women in cohorts used to accelerate research to prevent preterm birth through rigorous, standardized studies of pregnant women in low- and middle-income country settings. Through our collaboration in the Every Preemie - SCALE project we have investigated practical, catalytic, and scalable approaches to expand the uptake of preterm birth and low birthweight interventions in 25 USAID priority countries in Africa and Asia, and built implementation research capacity by partnering with local investigators on questions that are central to moving evidence to action for preterm birth.

We partnered with multiple international agencies, industry, researchers, and governments to examine existing pregnancy surveillance and vaccine safety monitoring systems in low and middle-income countries and understand capacity, feasibility, challenges, and opportunities in implementing safety monitoring systems. We are now building on this work to continue our contribution to efforts to prepare for the introduction of new maternal immunizations.

GAPPS BioServices a biobank of pregnancy specimens and data, has enrolled more than 2,600 participants and collected nearly 140,000 specimens to date. BioServices continues to contribute to multiple large-scale research efforts to understand the biological causes of preterm birth and stillbirth.

As we look back on our first decade, we are grateful to our extended network of supporters and partners, each of whom plays a critical role in the journey to prevent preterm birth and stillbirth. We are excited for the next 10 years and the opportunities and challenges ahead as we continue our quest to make every birth a healthy birth.