BALACLAVA, MAURITIUS – November 21, 2024 – The Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I-Africa) Consortium is currently hosting over 350 researchers and stakeholders from Africa and beyond at the 4th in-person Consortium Meeting in the Ravenala Attitude Hotel in Mauritius from 16th to the 22nd of November 2024. This significant gathering of scientists is actively fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of data science and health across Africa. This year’s event is aptly themed “Transforming Health in Africa: Bridging Data Science, Innovation, and Collaboration for Sustainable Impact.” Top scientists and academics are presenting their research findings, exchanging ideas, showcasing their ground-breaking work in data driven health solutions, and nurturing the Next Generation of Data Science Leaders for the African Health Sector.
DS-I Africa, launched in September 2021 through funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund and several NIH Institutes, Centres, and Offices, has been at the forefront of advancing data science capacity and promoting data-driven healthcare solutions in Africa. It invested over $88 million across African institutions to advance health data science. The program started with 19 funded projects and has recently grown to support 38 projects in 22 countries across the continent.
Michelle Skelton, project lead for the DS-I Africa Coordinating Centre at the University of Cape Town expressed her gratitude for the collaborative efforts within the DS-I Africa consortium over the past three years. She stated, “It has been a wonderful and productive journey, and I am honoured to be part of the 4th DS-I Africa Meeting in Mauritius, taking a week of dedicated time to reconnect. DS-I Africa is growing the data science capacity in Africa”.
Program highlights for the meeting include:
1. Data Bootcamp (16-17 November): A pre-meeting event designed and facilitated by the planning group including Dr Zahra Mungloo-Dilmohamud and Dr Shakuntala Baichoo (from the local organising committee) who presented on machine learning and breast cancer data exploration and led an engaging discussion about training/validation datasets and testing data.
2. LLM Workshop (17 November): Dr. Zahra Mungloo delivered an enriching presentation on large language models (LLMs), offering valuable insights into crafting effective ChatGPT prompts and leveraging ChatGPT to boost productivity. The session also included a hands-on component, allowing participants to gain practical experience in utilizing ChatGPT effectively.
3. Network Exchange and AI/ML Technology Demo (18 November): Open to data science-related organizations, this event offered an informal platform for participants to engage with DS-I Africa and its members and to gain insights into their projects. It's akin to a scientific poster session, promoting collaboration and information exchange.
The opening of this prestigious event featured the U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Amanda Jacobsen, who attended the meeting on behalf of Ambassador Henry V. Jardine, US Ambassador to Mauritius and Seychelles. Ms. Jacobsen highlighted how the support for DS-I Africa from the U.S and other partnerships is improving health and data science outcomes: “The U.S. government, through the National Institutes of Health, is honoured to support this meaningful collaboration with African research institutions and leaders across the continent”.
Guests were warmly welcomed by the Chair & Co-Chair of the DS-I Africa Steering Committee – Prof. Chenfeng Xiong and Dr. Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende. Dr. Kathleen Neuzil (Director of the Fogarty International Center) who is the guest of honour at the event, gave a presentation about how investment in data science in Africa can have major impact not only in Africa, but also globally. Organizers also had the pleasure to host Professor Yasmina Jaufeerally Fakim (University of Mauritius), Assoc. Professor Heenaye-Mamode Khan (Dean of Faculty of Information Communication and Digital Technologies at the University of Mauritius), and Dr. Heidi Sofia (Deputy Director of NCBI). Esteemed keynote speakers include experts in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, such as Dr. Judy Gichoya (Emory University), who presented on “Shortcuts casing bias in medical AI,” as well as Dr. Philip Bourne (University of Virginia), who talked about “Data Science Meets Biomedicine – Where and How Can Africa Lead”.
The comprehensive program covers themes addressing critical areas of concern, including:
- Data to Impact: Showcase of research findings and advancements in clinical medicine, public health, and health systems
- Innovative Tools and Solutions: Addressing Challenges in DS-I Africa: sharing & repurposing tools & resources
- Bridging Research and Practice: translating findings into policy and action for improved healthcare outcomes in Africa
- Collaboration for Change: promoting knowledge sharing and training to increase health impact
Additionally, there was a follow-up discussion with colleagues from the Wellcome Trust, who, together with Roche, kindly sponsored the meeting and the fellows’ activities.
For more information about the DS-I Africa Consortium and the event, please visit the official website at (https://dsi-africa.org/).
Stay up-to-date by following us on X: @DSI_Africa, LinkedIn: DS-I Africa and join the conversation using the hashtags #DSIAfrica2024 and #DataScience
Contact:
Michelle Skelton
Principal Investigator
H3Africa Administrative Coordinating Centre & DS-I Africa Coordinating Centre
Integrative Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Cape Town
Anzio Road
Observatory
7925
Tel: +27 (0) 828103031
Email: [Michelle.Skelton@uct.ac.za]