GHR partner C₂N Diagnostics, a leader in advanced brain health diagnostics, has entered several important partnerships in the last quarter that will advance access to its PrecivityAD blood test. The PrecivityAD test is an innovative new blood test intended for use in patients with cognitive impairment. The test aims to help healthcare providers determine the presence or absence of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

Two of these new partnerships expand access to the test in Brazil and Australia. In Brazil, C2N is partnering with Grupo Fleury, one of Brazil’s leading healthcare companies. The partnership will introduce the most advanced set of plasma biomarkers to detect changes that indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in patients experiencing memory difficulties. In Australia, a partnership with Healius Ltd, one of Australia's leading listed healthcare companies, will enable the use of C₂N’s PrecivityAD blood test and related brain health biomarkers in memory and dementia care.

In addition, C2N and Eisai, Inc. are partnering to build awareness about how blood-based assays for cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), may help patients receive a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, especially in traditionally underserved communities. The development and adoption of blood-based assays in everyday clinical practice is an important step in improving care for people in remote and underserved communities where access to the traditional diagnostic tools of positron emission tomography (PET) and lumbar punctures are not viable options. 

C₂N Diagnostics’ Alzheimer's blood test was introduced into the clinic in October of 2020, a breakthrough healthcare innovation for patients, advocates, and physicians who have long awaited an easy to administer test that can help them better understand Alzheimer’s disease. 

Learn more about C₂N Diagnostics’ partnerships.

On August 24, 2022, the Children’s Code Act became official law in Zambia. This act solidifies various rights and protections for children, and officially establishes procedures for the regulation of foster care, adoption, and child care facilities.

This is a truly monumental milestone within the country after years of hard work among GHR partners and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to draft, revise, advocate, and shepherd the bill through the system to become law. The Children’s Code Act adds to an already impressive list of policy changes (e.g., Alternative Care and Reintegration Guidelines, Foster Care and Adoption Guidelines, Minimum Standards of Care for Child Care Facilities) that GHR’s investments and collaborative efforts have contributed to in strengthening the child protection system in Zambia for the long-term. 

President Hakainde Hichilema signed the Children’s Act after it was adopted in the Zambian National Parliament. This legislation is aligned with international child rights standards and will enable the protection of vulnerable children, especially those without adequate parental care, children living in the street, refugee children and children on the move. The law will also protect children who have experienced violence, abuse and neglect and will ensure their access to justice.  

The adoption of the Children’s Code Act represents the Zambian Government’s commitment to the rights and welfare of the child. The Act will protect children in all settings and will create an environment where all children can grow and thrive with full potential. The GHR Children in Families team wishes to acknowledge and celebrate our partners in Zambia—ACEZ, CMMB, CRS, Save the Children, UNICEF, and ZAS—for their tremendous contributions to this achievement.     

In commemoration of World Day of Migrants and Refugees, GHR partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
produced a photo essay highlighting, in the spirit of Pope Francis' teachings, that collective growth as a human family is only possible if all are able grow together in peace and dignity.

Click to view the photo essay and to learn more about World Day of Migrants and Refugees. 

Through long-term partnerships with local governments, GHR has worked to improve child welfare and child protection in Zambia and Cambodia, utilizing a systems-strengthening approach that prioritizes family- and community-based care for vulnerable children over a reliance on orphanages. 
Through an innovative, collective approach, the Foundation’s efforts in Zambia and Cambodia have focused on addressing the structural elements needed for sustainable, generational change, with investments in multiple partners working collaboratively in each country. This form of country systems development work attempts to address root-cause issues around child welfare and to deliver programs more effectively and holistically, in accordance with a government’s vision.

Mark Guy, Children in Families Senior Program Officer, shared “Protecting children means strengthening their schools, their home lives and even the income security for their families. It is a tall order — and not something any agency or government can manage alone. GHR is humbled by the opportunity to resource, collaborate with and learn alongside these partners.”
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GHR’s learnings are captured in two reports that describe how the Foundation and its partners focused on locally-led systems strengthening. Explore the reports below:

Zambia Summary Report 
Cambodia Summary Report