ADVANCING PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH IN EASTERN AFRICA THROUGH DATA SCIENCE TRAINING (APHREA-DST) WORKSHOP

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The University of Nairobi is part of a consortium known as Advancing Public Health Research in Eastern Africa through Data Science Training (APHREA-DST) and the other partners are Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and Columbia University, USA and funded by the United States’ National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The project is established and supported by three departments at the University of Nairobi, namely, the Department of Mathematics, Department of Computing and Informatics, and Department of Public and Global Health. I commend the three heads of departments and the Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology for embracing multi-disciplinary research and training.

The APHREA-DST project proposes to advance public health research in Eastern Africa by establishing new multi-tiered training programs in health data science, with initial focus on Kenya and Ethiopia due to well-established partnerships and demonstrated needs.

Specifically, the programme aims to: 

  1. Develop and establish new MSc programs in public health data science in Ethiopia and Kenya.
  2. Establish a faculty development program to promote sustainability of data science education in the region.
  3. Develop and deliver short courses on key areas of data science competency. This will involve in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid models of delivery on key topics of public health data science for training by stakeholders in Ethiopia and Kenya.
  4. Provide an immersion experience for MSc trainees and mentored data scientists. Data will be used from ongoing projects in environmental health, climate science, exposure science, infectious diseases, disease surveillance, and health systems modeling to provide hands-on training.
  5. Conduct systematic, periodic program monitoring and evaluation and establish long-term sustainability of the research training programs.
  6. Explore feasibility of PhD programs in public health data science.
  7. Broaden the reach of the research training program through dissemination activities spanning national and regional levels.

In attendance was the Vice Chancellor, Prof Kiama Stephen,Deputy Vice Chancellor (AA) and Deans

APHREA - DST Official Launch Workshop

RM 405, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI TOWERS ON APRIL 4, 2022