MSc EpiBiostat
Project at a glance
Coordinator: Professor Manshinda Kulimba, Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), Democratic Republic of Congo
Consortium partners: Kinshasa School of Public Health, General Office for Disease Control DGLM-DRC
Country of Fellow: Democratic Republic of Congo
Grant number: CSA2020E-3123
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its neighbouring countries are faced with regular outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, yellow fever, measles, cholera, poliomyelitis, monkeypox and, more recently, COVID-19. Serious funding and skills gaps place a high burden on its health systems, restricting the capacity to monitor and contain these outbreaks. The training of the EPI-Biostat Fellows is therefore expected to have a high impact on DRC’s health systems at national and provincial levels. It is also expected to have a cross-border impact on outbreak management, considering the long border shared with several other countries in the region.
To support the country in workforce capacity building in detection and response to health emergencies, the main goal of this project is to contribute to the Ministry of Public Health workforce capacity strengthening to respond effectively, appropriately and promptly to health emergencies.
Fifteen professionals from the Ministry of Public Health will be trained through a Master’s training programme that will take place over four semesters, including two semesters of courses and two more dedicated to the internship and research. The fellows will be mentored and supervised by a team of 20 mentors from the Kinshasa School of Public Health for research activities and the National Public Health Institute (NPHI) for field attachment. Throughout their training, the fellows will be encouraged to join existing epidemiologists’ networks and the new network that will be created as a result of this project. This also includes participation in the biannual conferences and forums of the project’s alumni.
Kinshasa School of Public Health will work closely with the NPHI and the Ministry of Health to ensure sustainability and workforce placement in order to fill the gap in the country’s workforce needs.
The Fellows
Fifteen students were selected from more than 100 applications for these prestigious Master’s fellowships. The students have knowledge and experience in disease surveillance and outbreak response from across the different regions of DRC, one of the largest countries in Africa. The knowledge generated by the programme is expected to benefit the research and policy community in the broader central African region and other francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr David Ntumba N’Kana
Medical doctor and chief medical officer of Kowe health zone in the provincial division of Haut Katanga. He has experience in primary health care management, tropical disease control programmes (tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, neglected tropical diseases) as well as maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health interventions.
Dr Emmanuel Mapangu Bushabu
Technical Assistant at the Provincial Health Coordination of the Reproduction health program for Kasaï province, former Chief Medical Officer of health zone for five years. He has worked in primary health care management, including planning, resource management, activity monitoring and evaluation, and epidemiological surveillance.
Dr Jacques Lomanga Lomboto
Dr Lomboto is a Chief Medical Officer of Lingomo Health Zone in the Provincial Health Division of Tshuapa, and a former Chief Medical Officer of hospitals in other regions, with experience in disease surveillance and outbreak response.
Dr Ebengo Betoko Yannick
Dr Ebengo Betoko Yannick is a Physician at the Kabinda General Reference Hospital, Kinshasa. He has more than five years of experience in primary health care through health education and the care of patients with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Dr Kikwango Mamu Esther
Dr Kikwango Mamu Esther is a Medical Doctor at the Masina health zone working in primary health care monitoring and evaluation activities as well as disease surveillance. She has been deployed on the ground several times as part of the Ebola virus disease response with the Emerging Infections Rapid response team.
Dr Abedi Maliro Papin
Dr Abedi Maliro Papin is a Medical Doctor and former Director of the General Referral Hospital of Likati. He is Chief Physician of the Viadana Health Zone in the Province of Bas – Uélé, coordinating integrated disease surveillance and response activities, management and communication activities of the expanded programme on immunisation, prevention and management of neglected tropical diseases, HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Dr Ndjeka Lohenda Marie-Helene
Dr Ndjeka Lohenda Marie-Helene is a Medical Director of Katako Kombe General Referral Hospital, in Katako Kombe Rural Health Zone, with experience in the field of epidemiological surveillance and maternal health.
Dr Tresor Mabika
Dr Tresor Mabika is a Medical Director of Kanzi Reference Health Center and a member of the Executive Team of the Boma Bungu Rural Health Zone in the city of Boma, where he has been involved in monitoring and evaluation of activities on disease surveillance.
Dr Dende Tshonga Daniel
Dr Dende Tshonga Daniel is a Medical Doctor working at the Provincial Health Division of Tanganyika with experience in routine vaccination and epidemiological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Dr James Ndoko Anzaka
Dr James Ndoko Anzaka is the Chief Medical Officer of Urban-Rural Health Zone of Lisala in the Provincial Division of Mongala. His work has included coordination of all activities of the Health Zone during health emergencies such as outbreaks of measles, cholera, poliomyelitis, yellow fever, monkeypox, and recently against COVID-19.
Dr Blandine Kisangani Magayodre
Dr Blandine Kisangani Magayodre is a member of the communication division of the National Nutrition Program (PRONANUT), responsible for the design and development of information tools for behaviour change in nutrition.
Dr Bokpoy Benza Martin
Dr Bokpoy Benza Martin is a Medical Doctor and former Chief Medical Officer of Rural Health Zone of Bili. Currently, he leads the health zone of Poko in the same province. He has experience in planning and coordinating primary health care, surveillance and response.
Dr Rachel Bulakitadi Ngakiebe
Dr Rachel Bulakitadi Ngakiebe is a Medical Doctor working at Kokolo Health Zone with four years of clinical experience. She has been involved in response teams against health emergencies such Ebola and COVID-19.
Dr Luhembwe Mwana Ngongo Michel
Dr Luhembwe Mwana Ngongo Michel is the Provincial Coordinator of the National Multisectoral Program for the Fight against AIDS (PNMLS). He has 11 years of professional experience in the health sector and 5 years as the provincial coordinator of the HIV/AIDS programme for Tanganyika.
Dr Iranga Barhabula Irene
Dr Iranga Barhabula Irene is a Medical Doctor at the General Reference Hospital of Kabinda (former Tuberculosis Diagnostic Center). She previously worked as Assistant and Principal Investigator in the randomized Ebola treatment study that led to the approval of EBANGA (Mab114) in North Kivu and Equateur province.