Introduction

The Research Training on Harnessing Data Science for Global Health Priorities in Africa, known as WASHA Takwimu or “Ignite Data” in Swahili, is a collaboration between the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa and Heidelberg University in Germany and other ARISE partners. The training grant is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Fogarty International Centre (FIC). It aims to build data science research capacity in Africa with UKZN as the hub, and four partners (Spokes) in sub-Saharan Africa including, Nigeria (University of Ibadan), Uganda (Makerere University), Tanzania (Muhimbili University), and Ghana (University of Ghana).

The Research Training on Harnessing Data Science for Global Health Priorities in Africa program brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and expert faculty with in-depth experience in data science and the following two global health priorities:

1. Health Systems Strengthening, and
2. Food Systems, Climate Change and Planetary Health