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Tag: CEMA

  • UoN’s CEMA opens Data Club at Ndere mixed school to boost digital skills

    UoN’s CEMA opens Data Club at Ndere mixed school to boost digital skills

    The Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) within the University of Nairobi, officially opened a Data Club at Ndere Mixed School in Gem Sub-County.

    This innovative program aims to inspire curiosity, nurture ambition, and equip students with digital and data literacy skills that extend beyond the classroom.

    Africa remains behind in data analysis and interpretation capability. Often, external actors lead data work and decision-making leaving behind local perspectives and relevance.

    According to Dr. Loice Ombajo, infectious disease specialist and Co-Director at CEMA, the initiative seeks to flip this narrative by empowering the next generation to understand and utilize data to shape their own futures.

    “Decisions must be based on something and the best ones are driven by data,” said Dr. Ombajo.

    “We’re committed to building the next generation of African experts in data analytics. This initiative is a foundational step toward ensuring informed decision-making is embedded at the community level.”

    Ndere Mixed School was chosen out of necessity: limited resources and low academic performance have held back students for decades. Located in a rural, poverty-stricken area, the school previously had only one 20-year-old computer shared among the administrative team. Students had very little exposure to computer tools, with an average school performance of a D+.

    “Today marks a turning point for Ndere Mixed School,” said Bernard Otieno, Principal at Ndere Mixed School. “For years, our students have worked hard despite limited resources, and for most of them, this is their very first interaction with a computer. This data club is giving them a chance to dream bigger, to see possibilities beyond the boundaries of our village.”

    “We are already seeing changes–students are more motivated, performance is improving, and they are eager to come to school early just to be part of the club. They are not only learning computer skills, but also responsibility, teamwork, and confidence. This initiative has lifted the morale of both students and teachers,” Otieno added.

    To turn the tide, CEMA renovated a classroom, converted it to a computer lab, and donated 10 brand-new computers. The data club now has its learning space in the lab. In rural areas where poverty limits opportunity, young people often become trapped in cycles of hardship most of them settling for low-paying casual jobs or early marriage. This initiative aims to break that cycle by equipping students with the skills and confidence to dream bigger.

    “Before the Data Club launch, we faced many challenges, including limited IT personnel. Now, this initiative not only creates future job opportunities but also reduces insecurity by keeping students engaged and exposed to new possibilities,” says Collins Omondi, Parent representative.

    Entry is merit-based: students must show consistent academic improvement (no matter where they start from)  to maintain their place in the club adding motivation for excellence.

    “As the school board, we pledge to safeguard this facility, support our teachers, and ensure this investment benefits generations of learners. We urge students to use the Data Club not only for their own growth but also for the growth of our community,” said Japheth Ochieng, Chairman of the Ndere School Board.

    Currently, students are being trained in basic computer literacy writing documents, attendance tracking, and managing digital files. Students themselves proposed an early start: arriving at school by 6:45 AM, earlier than the regular classes begin, to maximize the Data Club experience. The club currently has 20–40 active members, with plans to scale to other schools in the region.

    The initiative is not a “touch and go” but a long-term commitment intended to show students that a brighter future is within reach for them, equipping them with a competitive edge in today’s digital era.

    “Students are already learning how to ask thoughtful research questions and collect data from their communities—many even spent their recent holidays doing data collection activities.”

    This initiative marks an important first step toward leveraging technology and data to unlock opportunities for underserved students and cultivate a new generation of bright, inspired young minds.

    “This is more than a computer lab. It’s a space of opportunity, where data can be a force of empowerment and where tomorrow’s leaders take their first step.” Dr. Ombajo concluded.

  • Safe care from start: Why better diagnostics can save lives

    Safe care from start: Why better diagnostics can save lives

    Kenya joins the world in marking the World Patient Safety Day Wednesday with a new research highlighting urgent threat to child health due to the underuse of diagnostics and alarming levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among hospitalized children.

    This year’s World Patient Safety Day, observed on 17 September under the theme “Safe care for every newborn and every child” with the slogan “Patient safety from the start!”, comes at a critical time. A new study highlights just how urgent the situation is.

    In the new research experts noted that safe care starts with strong diagnostics.

    Every child deserves safe, effective care from the moment they fall sick, yet in many hospitals across sub-Saharan Africa, experts say treatment often begins before infections are properly diagnosed using laboratory tools.

    The result? Antibiotics are given indiscriminately, infections go undetected, and antibiotic resistance spreads at alarming rates.

     The World Health Organization has set ambitious targets to reduce deaths linked to resistant infections and ensure that antibiotics remain available for use by those who truly need them. These goals cannot be met without reliable diagnostics. As Dr. Veronicah Chuchu notes: “Safe care starts with strong diagnostics; without them, children’s lives hang in the balance.”

    Researchers reviewed medical records of 1,608 children admitted with suspected infections between 2017 and 2021 in a referral hospital in Kenya.

    They analyzed infection patterns, the use of diagnostic tools, and antibiotic resistance. The findings were sobering: Gastroenteritis, bacterial pneumonia, and sepsis were among the most common infections, echoing global evidence that these are the leading causes of child illness and death, especially in under-immunized and malnourished populations.

    According to the researchers only 4 in 10 children had cultures requested, of those just 17pc received full antibiotic sensitivity testing the gold standard for guiding treatment.

    The study shows that more than 70pc of tested samples had bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, and nearly 30pc were extensively drug-resistant, leaving doctors with few treatment options.

    Children under five years and those with repeat admissions were the most vulnerable.

    One particularly worrying finding was that 86pc of the samples showed no bacteria at all.

    This can happen when children are given antibiotics at home or at another facility before admission; when samples are too little, poorly collected, or contaminated; or when delays in transport cause bacteria to die before testing. In the absence of reliable results, doctors often rely on broad “catch-all” antibiotics. While sometimes life-saving, this approach drives resistance, prolongs hospital stays, increases costs, and tragically, can still end in death.

    According to Dr. Chuchu, the lead author of the study, these challenges are not unique to Kenya. Across many low- and middle-income countries,, diagnostic services remain weak due to shortages of trained staff, laboratory supplies, and functional equipment.

    Fewer laboratories are able to perform even basic bacterial culture tests. “When children are treated without knowing the exact cause of their illness, their safety is compromised from the very start.” Dr. Chuchu, the lead author of the study stresses.

    What must change?

    According to the study authors, we must first scale up diagnostic capacity so that every child with an infection has access to cultures and sensitivity testing. Second, we need to strengthen laboratories by investing in infrastructure, skilled personnel, and timely reporting systems. Third, health facilities must make laboratory testing central to treatment decisions rather than defaulting to experience based therapy.

    “On this World Patient Safety Day, let us commit to ensuring that every child in Kenya, and across Africa, receives safe care from the start,” Dr. Chuchu concludes. “That means building stronger laboratories, training health workers, and making diagnostics as essential as stethoscopes. Only then can we protect children’s health, preserve the power of antibiotics, and save lives.” Authors highlight.

    This research was conducted by the Washington State University Global Health Kenya and Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi, funded by the Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and supported by the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health at Washington State University.

     

    Also read https://www.kbc.co.ke/70-of-common-bacteria-in-kenya-now-resistant-to-antibiotics-experts-warn/

  • Rabies vaccine boost in Kenya and Tanzania to cut deaths: study

    Rabies vaccine boost in Kenya and Tanzania to cut deaths: study

    A new study published in the Journal Vaccine reveals that improvements in the supply chain and delivery of human rabies vaccines in Tanzania and Kenya could significantly reduce preventable deaths and ensure more efficient use of health budgets.

    The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Glasgow, Ifakara Health Institute, the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi, the University of Edinburgh, and Washington State University, with support from the Wellcome Trust.

    It demonstrates that adopting the World Health Organization (WHO) -recommended intradermal (ID) vaccination method—which enables a single vial to treat multiple patients—can reduce overall vaccine use by more than 55%. This approach also significantly lowers the risk of stockouts, even in rural areas where patient visits are less frequent.

    Rabies is one of the world’s deadliest diseases—particularly in low- and middle-income countries—causing around 59,000 deaths annually, despite the availability of effective post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Many of these deaths occur because people cannot access timely treatment with the PEP vaccines. Frequent stockouts, high costs, and long travel distances to clinics present serious barriers to care.

    This modelling study evaluates vaccine demand, supply chain challenges, and management strategies using real-world data from Kenya and Tanzania. It examines how rabies vaccine supply chains can be strengthened to ensure people exposed to the rabies virus receive timely, life-saving protection.

    The researchers found that by adopting WHO recommendations of intradermal use in clinics with multiple bite patients daily, improving restocking strategies, and decentralizing PEP services, countries can strengthen their readiness to deliver PEP more efficiently and effectively.

    “It is unacceptable that people are still dying from rabies when effective vaccines are available,” said Martha Luka, lead author of the study and a postgraduate researcher at the University of Glasgow.  “By improving stock management and adopting dose-sparing intradermal vaccination, countries can protect more people with fewer resources.”

    The study also analyzed how vaccines are currently distributed and restocked across various health facilities. In Tanzania, where PEP is usually available only at central hospitals, decentralizing access to more local clinics can improve equity and access—especially for those in remote areas.

    A young child receives a life-saving rabies vaccination at a local health facility – early post-exposure treatment is critical to preventing the fatal disease.

    To avoid shortages, restocking strategies must be tailored to the average number of patients seen at each facility. The researchers developed simple, setting-specific rules for determining how much stock is needed and when to reorder—supporting health systems to respond swiftly to sudden surges in demand.

    “We have provided a practical and evidence-based roadmap to improve how rabies vaccines are delivered in Tanzania, said Kennedy Lushasi, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the Ifakara Health Institute. “By integrating vaccines into routine supply chains and expanding access to local clinics, we can save lives, reduce costs, and protect the most vulnerable. We call upon policymakers and public health leaders to act now. Every life lost to rabies is a tragedy– one we now have the tools to prevent. Let’s make those tools available to everyone, everywhere,” he added.

    These strategies come at a pivotal moment as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance begins investing in expanded access to human rabies vaccines, supporting efforts to achieve zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Gavi’s approach includes integrating rabies vaccines into national immunization supply chains across Africa, Asia, and other Gavi-supported countries. This must be coupled with vaccinations of dogs, which are the main sources of rabies in humans.

    “Gavi’s investment is a transformative milestone for public health in Africa and Asia,” said Mumbua Mutunga, co-author and PhD Fellow at the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), University of Nairobi. “Our research shows that with the right supply chain strategies and adoption of dose-saving intradermal injections, countries can move beyond reactive responses to sustained, reliable protection – helping to prevent the heartbreaking and unnecessary loss of life, especially among children in underserved communities.”

    “Strategic investment and data-driven planning as demonstrated in our publication are not just good to have – they are critical in making emergency vaccines accessible, dependable, and timely,” Mutunga added. “This is how we reach the communities that have been left out for far too long, preventing avoidable rabies deaths.”

    “With the right strategies in place, achieving Zero by 30 is entirely possible,” Luka concluded. “Now is the time for countries to leverage Gavi’s investment to build strong, resilient systems that guarantee timely access to PEP for everyone at risk.”