CONTRIBUTORS
Christine Ger Ochola
Communications Officer
At the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), data science is more than just numbers; it is a catalyst for change. Potentially, it can fuel evidence-based decision-making, drive groundbreaking research, and inform sustainable solutions that shape Africa’s future. Guided by APHRC’s mission, the Data Science Program (DSP) and Data Synergy and Evaluation (DSE) teams are leading the way in transforming data into actionable insights that address some of the continent’s most pressing health and development challenges.
One of APHRC’s research themes, DSP focuses on maximizing the power of data for population and health research in Africa. This involves creating platforms for Africa-led data sharing, data custody, and applying advanced big data analytics and artificial intelligence to foster health and well-being advancements across the continent. The DSE unit serves as a cross-cutting support function, collaborating with various teams to drive the efficient and effective integration of data management, analysis, and evaluation platforms for purposes of evidence generation for decision-making across all of APHRC’s programs.
To set a strategic direction for the year ahead, DSP and DSE teams convened on February 10 – 14, 2025, for a joint annual planning meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening data governance, improving data documentation and standardization, career growth for data professionals, internal capacity strengthening, and fostering community engagement.
Key on the agenda was improving data governance and reporting frameworks to promote more efficient processes. The teams developed a roadmap for quarterly data community meetings, providing a systematic platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration. These sessions will be crucial for promoting transparency, establishing partnerships, and ensuring that data science initiatives are well-coordinated across study domains.
The discussions also looked at developing trends in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, with a focus on how they can drive data-driven decision-making. Keeping up with technological improvements, the teams hope to use AI-powered analytics to provide useful insights and improve study outcomes. To improve accessibility and quality assurance, the teams strengthened best practices for data documentation and standardization. This guarantees that the study findings are credible and valuable to a wide range of stakeholders.
Internal capacity strengthening was a major focus, with discussions centered on equipping researchers and data scientists with the tools and expertise they need to navigate an ever-changing data ecosystem. As part of this effort, the team explored strategic planning for the Implementation Network for Sharing Population Information from Research Entities (INSPIRE) and the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS). These projects are crucial for leveraging longitudinal population health data, ensuring high-quality insights that inform policy and program decisions.
The teams also discussed expanding data community support for thematic research areas, ensuring data science is effectively integrated into policy and program development. This initiative aims to facilitate evidence-based decision-making that can drive positive change in public health and development sectors.
The planning meeting concluded with team-building activities that allowed for reflection and team connection. The sessions helped create new perspectives, strengthen interpersonal ties, and reaffirm the team’s common commitment to furthering APHRC’s data science goal.
With clear priorities and a solid framework in place, DSP and DSE will ambitiously seek to drive impactful data projects throughout the year. The team remains committed to promoting the use of data science to inform decision and policy-making, stimulating innovation, and supporting research activities that can lead to significant social gains.