CEMA-Africa

18/03/2026

On today’s , we shine the light on Boniface Ricky, a Data Quality Officer at in the Clinical Research team.

With a background in statistics, Ricky is driven by one belief: data is powerful when it leads to real-world impact. For him, that means using data to inform decisions and ultimately improve health outcomes.

At the heart of his work is Data integrity because reliable data saves lives. From ensuring completeness and consistency to identifying gaps and generating accurate reports, Ricky makes sure that what’s in the system truly reflects what’s happening on the ground.

Curious about the skills he’s built and his advice for young people looking to follow a similar path?

Watch the video to learn more.

16/03/2026

Happy Monday!

Did you know that around 60% of all human infectious diseases originate from animals, and over 75% of new or emerging diseases will have an animal link? (WHO)

WHO has classified some zoonotic diseases as neglected because they have complex transmission cycles and frequently affect under-resourced rural communities with poor diagnostics, limited treatment options and weak surveillance systems.

This neglect creates a vicious cycle of limited data, low awareness, and inadequate action.

Zoonotic diseases can spread in many ways: through direct contact with infected animals, bites from vectors like mosquitoes or ticks, contaminated food such as raw milk or undercooked meat, or unsafe water.

The burden of zoonotic diseases is a reminder that protecting human health is closely linked to animal and environment health.

At CEMA, we generate evidence that helps identify and prioritize zoonotic diseases so that public health interventions can be better targeted and more effective.

Read this study co-authored by CEMA’s Dr. Josphat Muema, PhD, which highlights zoonotic diseases that should be prioritized in Kenya:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0161576

12/03/2026

The presence of Kala-azar in Kenya was not always so widespread. It was first reported in Mandera and Wajir in 1935, before cases were reported in the Rift Valley areas of Baringo and West Pokot around the 80s and 90s. At the start of 2000, prevalence grew across the country as Kala-azar spread to areas where it was not previously present, most recently Tharaka Nithi and Meru.

This spread is not random; it follows ecology. 80% of Kenya is rangeland, much of the country shares similar ecologies, though differences exist in soil type and environmental variables, said our senior research fellow George Omondi Paul, Ph.D. in a recent webinar.

The ecological drivers supporting the disease in arid areas include vertisols (black cotton soil), termite mounds, and climatic expansion, which is leading to an upward trend. Similar ecologies, such as those shared between Kajiado and Narok or Isiolo and parts of Meru, signal where the disease could emerge next.

“Then we also have housing, especially the manyattas, the environment, livestock, and the large number of dogs. Because of the wildlife we have, especially the hyrax, we are also starting to think about the potential for zoonotic transmission,” said Omondi.

For more on Kala-azar in Kenya, its spread and why targeted control is path to elimination, read more:

Modeling a future free of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Building modeling capacity across Africa through training, mentorship, and responding to country-specific requests to empower local decisions on NTD strategies.

12/03/2026

This week’s shines on Nell Valentine, an Epidemiology Intern at CEMA with a background in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Although she once dreamed of becoming a doctor, Nell discovered her true passion in public health—using data and research to improve health for entire communities.

At CEMA, she is building skills in data management, statistical analysis, and data visualization, while learning how to turn research into insights that inform real-world decisions.

The future of healthcare needs fresh ideas, creativity, and technology—and young professionals like Nell have the power to drive that change.

Curious to hear her perspective on how young people can shape better healthcare? Watch the video below.

08/03/2026

Today, on International Women’s Day , we celebrate the incredible women of !

From researchers generating evidence to guide better health policies, to colleagues in communications, administration, and operations who ensure this work reaches the world — every contribution matters.

This year’s theme, , reminds us that when women invest their leadership, expertise, and time in advancing science and health, societies gain stronger health systems, better policies, and healthier communities.

Today and every day, we celebrate the women whose dedication makes impact possible. Because when women give, the world gains.

07/03/2026

This week, CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) convened health and technology experts in Nairobi (March 3–4) for an AI Pandemic Preparedness Consultation Forum, exploring how Artificial Intelligence can strengthen vaccine R&D and epidemic intelligence across Africa.

Representing the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), Dr Paul K Korir and George Kamundia contributed to this critical conversation through their presentation:
“Compressing the Evidence Cycle: AI for Rapid Synthesis to Accelerate Outbreak Response and Vaccine Readiness.”

Here are the key highlights:
📌 Advancing the 100 Days Mission
Developing vaccines within 100 days of identifying a new threat requires dramatically faster evidence generation across diagnostics, epidemiology, immune response, and social factors.

📌 Introducing RCEMA
Traditional systematic reviews can take months, yet outbreak response demands decisions in days or weeks. RCEMA, CEMA’s internal AI tool, is designed to accelerate abstract screening and data extraction for systematic reviews. Benchmarking across internal and external datasets shows:
• Sensitivity of up to 98%
• Up to 83% reduction in workload

The bottom line?
AI is not replacing scientists, it is strengthening expertise, compressing timelines, and helping translate data into faster, evidence-based action to save lives.

05/03/2026

We appreciate Michael Oruko of Willow Health Media for highlighting our report on Kenya’s effort to eliminate kala-azar. Such a thoroughly written piece that underscores why the 2030 elimination targets remains out of reach, and what can be done to accelerate the progress.

Kala-azar is one of the most lethal neglected tropical diseases. Without early treatment, it is fatal in more than 95% of cases, progressively destroying the immune system and causing severe anemia and organ enlargement.

The report underscores why sustained investment in areas such as early diagnosis, surveillance systems is critical especially in remote endemic counties where delayed detection continues to cost lives.

Read more: https://willowhealthmedia.org/hiding-in-plain-sight-inside-kenyas-10-year-march-to-defeating-kala-azar/

Asymptomatic patients and climate change silently drive 70 per cent of new transmissions as the deadly disease spreads across arid regions.  Kenya will not eliminate kala-azar by 203…

04/03/2026

What a moment! 👏

Fresh off successfully defending his PhD, Dr. Ogoti Maina delivered an engaging and insightful webinar, breaking down what his research means for the future of global health.

The research explores a critical question:
Why is there high exposure to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in camels, but relatively few human cases, especially in Africa?

Here is a summary from the session:
🔹 Possible seasonal patterns in Africa
MERS-CoV incidence may be seasonal, influenced by factors such as camel birthing cycles, food availability, and migration patterns.

🔹 Predominant strain in East Africa
Over the past two years, Clade C2.2 has been the uniquely detected strain, suggesting it is currently predominant in East Africa.

🔹 Evidence of human exposure in Kenya
Findings suggest likely exposure to MERS-CoV in humans in Kenya, based on the detection of anti-MERS-CoV IgG antibodies and reactive MERS-CoV-specific T cells.

🔹 Differences between African and Arabian strains
Arabian clade A and B strains show stronger replication ability, while African clade C strains appear less efficient in human bronchial cells. This highlights the importance of preventing the introduction of clade B strains into Africa.

Congratulations again, Dr. Ogoti, on a successful PhD defense and for sharing such impactful research. Here’s to turning science into action!

Missed the session? Look out for the recording link later this week.

03/03/2026

TOMORROW! ⏰

Join us for an insightful seminar by Dr. Ogoti Maina as he unpacks one of Africa’s most intriguing epidemiological puzzles, and what it means for the future of disease surveillance and preparedness.

📅 Tomorrow, Wednesday, 4 March 2026

⏰ 12:00 PM EAT

📍 Zoom

🔗 Click this updated link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iIWjrw4RQbaV2GeRrhfSuA

Don’t miss out. See you there!

03/03/2026

✨ Huge congratulations to Dr. Ogoti Maina on successfully defending his PhD in Tropical and Infectious Diseases from the University of Nairobi!

His groundbreaking research explored the genomic (organisms' genetic materials) and phenotypic (observable characteristics of an organism) drivers of zoonotic transmission of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) — advancing our understanding of how emerging diseases move between animals and humans.

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at CEMA, Dr. Ogoti leads field surveillance on emerging zoonotic diseases, integrating on site sample collection, diagnostics, and data analytics to track transmission patterns and inform control strategies.

CEMA couldn’t be prouder of this remarkable achievement. Here’s to even greater heights and continued impact in global health!

02/03/2026

📢 New Publication Alert!

Congratulations to Dr. Hillary Wakhungu, PhD., Dr. George Omondi Paul, Ph.D., Dr. Dr. Josphat Muema, PhD and colleagues on their new paper:

“Determinants of animal-source food consumption in children 6–48 months in livestock-keeping households in Narok County, Kenya.”

Conducted in Narok County, a pastoralist setting, the study examined dietary diversity among mother–child pairs in livestock-keeping households, with important implications for nutrition policy and programming.

🔎 Key findings include:

📌 Only 31% of mothers met minimum dietary diversity requirements.
📌 74% of children achieved minimum dietary diversity.
📌 88% of children consumed animal-source foods, compared to just 39% of mothers.

These findings highlight the need to strengthen food security, promote economic empowerment, and enhance knowledge and practices around animal-source food (ASF) consumption to improve nutrition outcomes among children in livestock-keeping communities.

Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/dhnAfnAt

27/02/2026

This week presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2026 in Colorado, USA.

Dr. Loice Achieng Ombajo, Dr. Joseph Nkuranga and Dr. Emily Kamau shared findings from three studies highlighting the urgent need for context-specific data to guide treatment decisions in Africa.

Key findings:

🔎 Ndovu study focused on children and adolescents

41% of children and adolescents with persistent viraemia (presence of HIV virus in blood) did not achieve viral suppression after three months of enhanced adherence support — underscoring the need for better strategies for young people experiencing dolutegravir (DTG) failure.

🔎 Ndovu study focused on Adults with viraemia while on DTG

Many adults with two consecutive high viral loads on DTG were able to suppress without switching treatment — highlighting the need for stronger data to determine whether these adults should switch regimens without resistant testing according to WHO guidance.

🔎 Sungura study focused on older adults above 60 years of age

At 48 weeks, 100% of participants who switched to DTG/3TC dual therapy were virally suppressed. With high rates of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease and osteoporosis, treatment decisions for older adults must consider long-term safety.

The message is clear: as DTG-based regimens scale up across Africa, locally generated evidence is critical to ensure treatment policies reflect real-world clinical realities.

The Ndovu studies were funded by the Gates Foundation, and Sungura by ViiV Healthcare, in partnership with NASCOP and the University of Nairobi.

Read more here: https://url-shortener.me/EQZS