APHRC Initiates ‘Data Science Without Borders’ to Revolutionize Africa’s Data Utilization

ADDIS ABABA – The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) unveiled a groundbreaking data science project, ‘Data Science Without Borders’ (DSWB), in Addis Ababa today. The initiative, hosted at the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is set to transform the continent’s approach to data by filling existing gaps, enhancing data systems, and fostering collaborative, data-informed decision-making across Africa.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the DSWB Project Lead and Head of Data Science Program at APHRC, this three-year project, funded by the Wellcome Trust with a $5 million investment, aims to significantly advance the use and reuse of data science techniques in Ethiopia, Senegal, and Cameroon. The project plans further expansion to include more African Union member states. The initiative will concentrate on boosting data analytics capabilities through advanced artificial intelligence tools and building the capacity of national teams in machine learning.

Kiragga highlighted the project’s commitment to overcoming barriers to effective use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in sub-Saharan Africa, such as data scarcity, inadequate data collection infrastructure, and the shortage of skilled data scientists. The DSWB project intends to develop a federated no-code platform for deploying machine learning models and establish a sustainable framework for applying data science tools across the continent.

Damazo Kadengye, Head of Data Synergy and Evaluations at APHRC, emphasized the project’s foundational role in strengthening African data systems and its potential to influence policy and planning through evidence-based insights. He noted the project’s alignment with the African Union’s data policy framework and its importance in enhancing governmental data systems.

The DSWB initiative represents a collaborative effort among several partners, including The Alan Turing Institute, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training (IRESSEF), Douala General Hospital, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and the Committee on Data (CODATA).

The APHRC, a leading research-to-policy institution based in Nairobi, Kenya, with a regional office in Dakar, Senegal, aims through this project to elevate the role of data science in health and development across Africa, ensuring a lasting impact on the continent’s data science landscape.