Launch of the BRIDGE Network Training Programme: A Milestone in Tackling Infectious Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa

Nairobi, December 10, 2024

The Aga Khan University, in collaboration with a consortium of 12 African and European institutions, officially launched the BRIDGE Network: Scaling Up Infectious Disease Research in Sub-Saharan Africa, at an event hosted at The Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi. The initiative seeks to empower African researchers with cutting-edge skills in health informatics and data sciences, aiming to transform how the continent addresses infectious diseases through innovation, collaboration, and data-driven solutions.

Prof Marleen Temmerman, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University, underscored the program’s transformative potential, highlighting the importance of tailoring approaches to the specific health challenges of each African country while working closely with public health sectors. She emphasized that improving health outcomes requires not only technical expertise but also strong partnerships across nations and disciplines. Dr. James Orwa, Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health, expressed the institution’s dedication to fostering talent, starting with two PhD students and two postdoctoral fellows, with plans to scale up the program to include more researchers in the future. Prof Pascal Coorevits of Ghent University reinforced the critical role of data, pointing out that Africa’s ability to collect, analyze, and utilize high-quality health information will determine the effectiveness of its response to infectious diseases. Prof Dr. Marc Twagirumukiza, Coordinator of the BRIDGE Network Consortium, explained the initiative’s unique approach, combining health sciences and data sciences to create innovative and sustainable solutions for disease prevention and management. The launch event gathered leading researchers, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders, all committed to redefining the future of infectious disease research in Sub-Saharan Africa. The BRIDGE Network represents more than just a training program—it is a bold step toward empowering local researchers to lead the fight against infectious diseases, strengthening public health systems, and fostering cross-continental collaboration to ensure lasting impact.

Comments

Records Digitization Failures Risk Digital Kenya; Urges ICT-Records Unity.

Ms. Mary Kerema, OGW, Secretary ICT e-government and Digital Economy. Nairobi, Kenya - July 16, 2025. Ms. Mary Kerema, OGW, delivering remarks on behalf of Eng. John Tanui, MBS, the Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy , issued a blunt assessment today, government efforts to digitize critical records are failing, risking the paralysis of Kenya's broader digital transformation agenda. Speaking to ICT Directors and various stakeholders at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Kenya Association of Records Managers and Archivists (KARMA) at the Serena Hotel, Kerema conveyed the PS's deep concern over the " significantly low" progress made since the Ministry directed State Corporations to adopt paperless systems in March 2023. She emphasized that the core problem identified by the PS is not funding, but a critical deficit in expertise, infrastructure, and a widespread underestimation of the domain's complexity, a complexity interwoven with leg...

Wisdom, Not War, WADR Chair Calls for National Shift in Conflict Resolution.

Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution (WADR Kenya), led by Chairperson Eunice Lumallas(middle). NAIROBI, Kenya July 16, 2025. Amidst escalating tensions across Kenya's political, social, and economic sectors, Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution (WADR Kenya), led by its Chair Eunice Lumallas, has issued a powerful call for nationwide adoption of peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms. Lumallas, emphasizing Kenya stands at a "critical juncture," warned that unchecked disputes threaten to erode hard-won gains in governance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the rule of law, jeopardizing national unity, business confidence, investment, and the hope of Kenyans. Representing diverse stakeholders, WADR Kenya passionately argued that choosing hostility leads to collective loss, while reasoned dialogue allows everyone to rise and gain. Chair Lumallas urged all Kenyans to prioritize empathy and actively embrace dialogue, mediation, conciliation,...

Kenyan Religious Leaders Issue Urgent Plea to "Stop Destroying Our Country" Amid Escalating Crisis.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 9, 2025. In a powerful intervention, Kenya’s Inter-Religious Council (IRCK) has demanded an immediate end to state-sponsored violence and political exploitation tearing the nation apart. Following a three-day emergency retreat in Nairobi, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu leaders issued a stark warning that the country is in a "very sad and dangerous state," blaming dominant political elites for fueling unprecedented tensions through their fight to " acquire, protect and consolidate power." The council condemned the government’s handling of protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, accusing the state of degenerating legitimate discontent into " murderous chaos" marked by extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, abductions, and destruction of public property. It called on President William Ruto’s administration to prosecute senior officials linked to violence and financial scandals, insisting this is essential to resto...

Ke Times

Search This Blog