Making African Data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, & Reusable

DISCOVER HOW
DATA SCIENCE WITHOUT BORDERS

We are Committed to Strengthening Data Systems, Fostering Collaboration, & Building Capacity

The Data Science Without Borders (DSWB) project aims to improve data systems in Africa by supporting the development of advanced data science pipelines in three African countries. Through collaboration and capacity building, the project seeks to enhance data utilization and develop innovative solutions for health and research using data science techniques. By leveraging existing datasets and co-designing strategies, DSWB aims to create a sustainable and collaborative environment for applying data science in African health institutions.

Our Objectives

Strengthen
Data Systems

Focus on enhancing data collection, management, and analysis capabilities at selected health institutions.

Collaborative and Replicable Data Science Applications

Foster a collaborative environment for scalable and transferable data science practices across multiple institutions.

No-Code/Low-Code Platform Development

Create a platform that allows data scientists and policymakers to apply ML models to analyze data, making data science tools accessible.

SOLUTIONS FOR IMPACT

Our Approach

1. Data Mapping and Infrastructure Review
Conduct comprehensive assessments of available datasets and IT infrastructure at each Pathfinder institution to evaluate their readiness for advanced data science​.
2. Capacity Building and Training
Summer schools and workshops will be organized to address the identified training needs, and PhD students will be involved in developing context-specific research questions​.
3. Platform Development and Data Harmonization
The project will standardize data and integrate community data standards like OMOP Common Data Model (CDM) to enable advanced data science activities​.
4. Open Science
The project promotes open science principles and aims to create a central repository for data sharing and collaboration​.
5. Africa Data Value Chain Survey
The project is currently engaged in a two-phase assessment of the data lifecycle across Africa, from data creation to utilization. The objectives are to understand the data ecosystem across different African institutions, assess the current data capability/maturity levels in various member states, evaluate the progress made by different countries in harnessing the data value chain, and identify training needs across the data ecosystem domains in African institutions. This effort is a joint initiative between Africa CDC and APHRC.
OUR PARTNERS

Synergies for Innovative Solutions for Health & Research in Africa

Datasets mapped across the 3 pathfinder institutions.
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High-priority datasets identified for analysis, focusing on HIV, TB, and maternal health.
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Countries involved in capacity-building initiatives: Ethiopia, Cameroon, Senegal, and Kenya.
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