The annual gathering of the UZIMA-DS study convened over 70 experts in healthcare and data science alongside partners from institutions like the Aga Khan University, the University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity, Kenya Medical Research Institute - Wellcome Trust (KWTRP), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Held in Kilifi, Kenya, discussions centred on the future of African health research and the vital intersection of data science and healthcare in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Key topics included implementing best practices for data science methodology, predictive modelling, and fostering a robust data science ecosystem in LMICs. Attendees shared insights on machine learning models for predicting low birth weights, Early Childhood Development (ECD) surveillance, and establishing data resources for African adolescent mental health research.
The Brain & Mind Institute (BMI) highlighted significant progress over the past three years. This included deploying a mobile application to be used in identifying clinically relevant signatures for depression among healthcare workers, creating a mental health database for university students for 4,000 students and finalizing data collection platform agreements.
BMI also supports UZIMA's capacity-building component, providing mentorship and training to early career researchers in areas such as data analysis and leadership development. Our PhD fellow is undertaking a project about sleep and mental health. His interview with the dissemination team on his experience and learnings in the project will enrich future interventions.
“I learnt a great deal during the UZIMA annual meeting. From methodologies of data analysis to cloud infrastructure support, manuscript and grant writing skills, and leadership. This experience will greatly impact how I undertake my project,” Willie Njoroge observed.
Three years into the study, BMI has accomplished several milestones including deploying a mobile health app that shows moods, sleep patterns and activity rates, recruiting 527 healthcare workers from five facilities that are part of the study, developing manuscripts as a way of dissemination, successfully streamlining the process of data storage on the cloud and subsequent downloads for analysis, and developing a platform for collecting mental health data for students.
BMI handles the mental health core of the UZIMA-DS study which focuses on using artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify clinically relevant signatures for mental ill health among healthcare workers, adolescents, and university students. Future study plans involve enrolling 4,000 students for mental health database creation and the development of predictive models for healthcare workers at risk of depression and mood disorders.
Through collaboration with partners and stakeholders, BMI is committed to driving progress in mental and brain health in Africa, ultimately contributing to a healthier world. The UZIMA-DS study, funded by the National Institute of Health, aims to leverage data science to address critical health issues impacting African communities, including maternal, newborn, child health, and mental health.
