Capacity Development of Applied Epidemiologists

Project Period

September 2021 - December 2024

The intensity and frequency of natural disasters, disease epidemics, and pandemics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continue to grow, creating a complex public health emergency context. Many countries in SSA lack the requisite public health competencies and level of national commitments and resources to manage strategic surveillance and intervention response. Having a well-trained public health workforce ensures an effective and high quality public health system for every country. In recognition of the importance of public health workforce development, the Africa Union (AU), through the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), is committed to building or strengthening member states’ capacity in public health through medium and long-term field epidemiologic and laboratory training programmes. Specifically, this is achieved through development of personnel in three professional areas: field epidemiology, public health laboratory leadership, and public health informatics.

The Capacity Development of Applied Epidemiologists (CDAE) project aims to establish a networked cohort of highly skilled applied epidemiologists (EPI fellows), who are able to work with National Public Health Institutes (NPIs) and National Ministry of Health (MoH) Departments to improve their levels of preparedness, field surveillance, and response to disease outbreaks within the Eastern Africa region. The project strengthens the research and policy engagement capacity of EPI fellows through a mentored and practical learning programme. It also strengthens the training, research and supervision capacity of faculty members within targeted universities for effective delivery of academic programmes in applied epidemiology. The project harnesses a robust suite of field epidemiology and disease surveillance skills, data standards and analytical methodologies, and scientific writing for policy uptake. It strengthens the capacity of health personnel in epidemiology and biostatistics to efficiently monitor, analyse and interpret disease outbreak data, and to inform policy and decision making within countries in the broader Eastern Africa region that are prone to epidemic outbreaks.

CDAE is funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and is implemented by various institutions led by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Amref International University (AMIU), and Lund University (Sweden). The project is currently supporting 15 fellows who are expected to graduate with Master’s degree in Epidemiology by June of 2024.

Funding:

CDAE is funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and is implemented by various institutions led by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Amref International University (AMIU), and Lund University (Sweden).

Project duration:

Start Date: September 2021

End Date: December 2024

Project team:

  • PI: Hesborn Wao
  • Program Coordinator: Patrick Owili
  • AMIU Coordinator: Alice Lakati
  • JOOUST Coordinator: Dickens Omondi
  • Project Assistant: Jackline Syonguvi
  • Grants Officer: Winnie Chepkemoi
  • Project Accountant: Kevin Kiiru