Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Dates: 29 October – 3 November 2022
Organized by: DS-I Africa Consortium (an NIH-funded initiative)
The Second Consortium Meeting of the Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) was held in person from late October to early November 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. The event convened researchers, data scientists, health professionals, and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to advance collaboration and capacity in data science for health research. BridgELSI co-investigators Professors Simisola Akintola and Ayodele Jegede, as well as trainees Dr Oluchi Maduka and Mr Adeola Akintola represented the BridgELSI team.
Meeting Structure and Activities
The meeting began with a two-day “Do-athon” focused on collaborative workstreams including data models and harmonization, FAIR training, and accessing multimodal health data across cloud platforms. These sessions were designed to leverage diverse expertise within the consortium to address practical data science challenges.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in working group sessions on key thematic areas such as data management, data governance, and partnerships and outreach. Plenary sessions included addresses from the DS-I Africa Steering Committee and representatives from partner institutions, and presentations on the consortium’s open data science platform, eLwazi, and updates from the Coordinating Centre.
Thematic Sessions and Knowledge Sharing
The core of the meeting featured structured discussions on major themes relevant to data science and health research:
- Cross-border data sharing, focusing on legal, technical, and collaborative frameworks for sharing data across African contexts.
- Current trends and best practices in accessing health data, including lessons from international and regional initiatives.
- Opportunities and challenges in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to health data in Africa, with emphasis on ethical, technical, and capacity issues.
- Engaging communities beyond informed consent, exploring models of community engagement and ethical data use.
The meeting also featured presentations from invited experts and plenary panel discussions, facilitating knowledge exchange across disciplines and sectors.
Networking and Collaboration
An integral component of the Consortium Meeting was the Networking Exchange, an informal session modeled after scientific poster sessions. This event provided opportunities for consortium members and invited organizations to interact, share research summaries, and explore potential collaborations. Participants included DS-I Africa awardees, NIH representatives, and external partners.
Conclusion
The Second DS-I Africa Consortium Meeting successfully provided a platform for technical exchange, collaborative planning, and community building among stakeholders in data science health research in Africa. By fostering dialogue on data sharing, governance, AI applications, and partnership development, the meeting contributed to DS-I Africa’s broader mission of strengthening data science capacity to improve health outcomes across the continent.
