Regional Workshop for Eastern Africa: Data Science for Health

​The annual APHREA-DST workshop was held at Addis Ababa University (AAU) this year, with team members from University of Nairobi (UoN) and Columbia University (CU), as well as other academics and researchers in attendance. A delegation of eight participants—six from Kenya and two from the United States—attended the workshop. Of the six from Kenya two were graduate students who presented their thesis alongside their counterparts from AAU and participated in subsequent discussions. The U.S. team also included an instructor who took part in the Training of Trainers (ToT) program held on November 5, 2025.

This third workshop organized by AAU, marked an important milestone in the four-year collaboration among all the partners. Reflections were made on collective achievements, research outputs, and lessons learned. The first cohort of graduate students presented their theses in the areas of maternal health and communicable and non-communicable diseases, and senior researchers shared their knowledge in the field of data science for health. Keynote talk topics included ‘Challenges in Opportunities in Research Data Access’ and ‘Engaging Strategic Partnership for Sustainability’. Participants also engaged in panel discussions focusing on the sustainability of data science training, the ethical use of health data, and strategic partnerships for future collaboration.

After the workshop, a one-and-a-half-day training session was conducted by partners from Columbia University and the IBM Research Africa in South Africa. The program brought together experts who delivered a series of interactive presentations and practical exercises designed to strengthen participants’ skills and knowledge in the targeted areas. Training session details are listed below:

• ‘A primer on new tools in data science (e.g. Shiny apps, data manipulation in the tidyverse)’ led by Dr. Jeff Goldsmith (CU)
• ‘Evaluating the health effects of complex environmental exposures: Machine Learning Approaches’ led by Dr. Arce Domingo Relloso (CU)
• ‘IBM Granite Geospatial Land Surface Temperature Foundation Model and applications’ led by Drs. Craig Mahlasi, Zaheed Gaffoor, and Tamara Govindasamy (IBM)

A total of 15 trainees attended the sessions in person in Addis Ababa, while more than 25 participants joined online over the course of the one-and-a-half-day training. The combination of face-to-face and virtual participation allowed for broad engagement and rich discussions. A certificate of training participation was awarded to all participants who attended the sessions in person.

​Read about the event in Addis Ababa University's News and on AAU Connect's October edition.