PREP-EPID: Strengthening research and operational capacities for outbreaks and epidemics management in sub-Saharan Africa

The African Institute of Public Health (AIPH), a private not-for-profit organisation in Burkina Faso, was created in 2012 with the aim to equip trainees with relevant skills that they need to optimally deliver in their commitments to ensure high performance of the health system. The AIPH is now playing a pivotal role in the building of a critical mass of adequately trained people by welcoming students from many francophone countries across Africa with high-caliber national and international lecturers. The AIPH maintains strong networks of collaborators and institutions that are individually playing a central role in their respective countries’ responses to the various epidemics the region has faced these last years. Leveraging on that existing asset, the PREP-EPID project will create a consortium of institutions with complementary experiences and expertise with the aim of strengthening an existing training programme in Epidemiology and Biostatistics for French-speaking countries.  A disease outbreak investigation and response track will be developed within an established MSc programme by (i) building a consensus among stakeholders around the core competencies in outbreak investigation and disease surveillance that should be incorporated into the existing master training program, (ii) ensuring adequate governance of the programme activities, (iii) getting and maintaining a continuing engagement of relevant stakeholders.

The Fellows

Dr Oumaima Mahamat Djarma (Chad)

Medical Doctor, a specialist in infectious and tropical diseases (University of Abidjan). Physician in the infectious diseases department at the University teaching Hospital-Bon Samaritain in Ndjamena-Chad and at the provincial hospital of Farcha. She is particularly interested in emerging infectious diseases and has participated in the response to and management of several epidemics in Chad: Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, Influenza A H1N1/2009 and COVID-19.

 

Dr Cyril Tokpa (Côte d’Ivoire)

Former Head of Service at the Directorate of Veterinary Services of Ivory Coast, Dr Topka has working experience in the surveillance, surveys and investigations of animal and zoonotic diseases, data analysis and processing. He is a trainer in the following programs: In Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET); Techniques for collecting and transporting biological samples; Training of field agents in real-time data collection tool (Event Mobile Application, EMA-i) and Global Animal Disease Information System (Emergency Prevention System, EMPRES-i), all designed by FAO. He is a member of several technical working groups, in particular for activities related to Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); the development of veterinary public health regulatory texts; Preparedness for emergency situations.

 

Dr Saint Cyr Régis Ndanga Yanoe (Central African Republic)

Dr Saint Cyr Régis Ndanga Yanoe is a Medical Doctor. In 2018, together with WHO, the Central African Republic Country Office, he supported the response to Yellow Fever and Viral Hepatitis E outbreaks in the health district of Bocaranga-Koui. From 2019 to 2020, he coordinated the Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Response Measures in the Bangassou Health District (Border District with the DRC) in relation to the tenth EVD outbreak in the DRC with WHO. He has also worked in the response to various outbreaks: poliomyelitis (2019), Measles (2020) and COVID-19 (2020-2021).

 

Dr Balla Bagayoko (Mali)

General practitioner with more than two years of experience in the field of research at the Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC) in Mali. I participated in the conduct of several research studies within the MRTC on malaria as a clinical investigator and I also participated in several surveys and supervisions in the health services of Mali with the aim of improving malaria prevention during pregnancy.

 

Dr Said Moilimou Dahalane Mze (Comores)

General practitioner, he graduated from the Central South University of Changsha China in June 2015. He is the former Head Medical Officer of Health District Center in different regions in Comoros. He was also the Health Focal Point of tuberculosis and leprosy on the small island of Comoros for a period of three years. Dr Mze used to serve as a team member for the epidemiological surveillance in the country’s response to the current pandemic of COVID-19.

 

Dr Aïssata Oureïba (Mali)

Dr Oureïba is a Medical Doctor and has working experience as a field supervisor at the International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR) at the University Center in Clinical Research (UCRC) of Mali, where I was responsible for training and supervising field data collectors; I use to coordinate seasonal malaria chemoprevention activities and collaborate with authorities and community leaders.

 

Dr Elie Yallo Yaradouno (Guinea)

Dr Yaradouno is a general physician and graduated from Gamal Nasser University of Conakry. He is the Deputy Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Section at the Forecariah Health District. Prior to that, he was the National WHO consultant for epidemiological surveillance during the Ebola response in Guinea from 2014 to 2016. Dr Yaradouno has trained at Guinea Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) (first line and intermediate level) and was the National Consultant Epidemiologist during the response to the outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus in Guinea in 2020, Covid-19, Ebola and Marburg in Guinea in 2021.

 

Dr Mathurine Sawadogo (Burkina Faso)

Dr Sawadogo is a Medical Doctor and general practitioner with working experience at the health district level in Burkina Faso. She used to work with the health district of Dô in Burkina Faso. Besides clinical activities, she was involved with TB control activities (case management, active community search of lost to follow up) and routine supervision of primary health care facilities. She has also experience working as a data collector in a research project with an NGO (HELP).

 

Dr Wendlasida Serge Pacôme Yameogo (Burkina Faso)

Dr Yameogo is a Medical doctor and he used to serve at the regional University Teaching Hospital of Ouahigouya. He has an interest in research and public health surveillance. He is the author/co-author of several publications and scientific communications during national, regional, and international meetings.

 

Dr Akodegnon Honora B. Djidonou (Benin)

A medical doctor with 7 years of experience in the field of public health, he has held the position of Technical Assistant at the African Centre of Excellence for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases (CEA-PCMT) in Conakry, Guinea. Consultant in Immunization and Vaccine Development Specialist for the Ebola Outbreak Response in RDC /WHO. Medical Officer in the PREVAIL IV Project, Phase II Trial Ebola Response Program with National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Guinea. Co-investigator in the Ebola Vaccine Trial in the Response to the Ebola Epidemic in Guinea and Sierra Leone/WHO.

 

Sedera Radoniaina Rakotondrasoa (Madagascar)

Dr Rakotondrasoa is a Medical Doctor and has working experience as a research assistant, and communicable diseases officer at the regional directorate of public health (Vakinankaratra). Prior to joining the school, I was serving as head of the epidemiological surveillance unit within the national malaria program.

 

Dr Ariane Belyse Ndayimirije (Burundi)

General practitioner with more than 3 years of professional experience in the field of health particularly in surveillance of diseases with epidemic potential, response, monitoring and evaluation and data management in collaboration with programmes and partners of MOH. Excellent knowledge of the Burundian health system and the national health information system. Experience in capacity building of doctors and nurses in Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), preparedness for malaria, cholera, Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and COVID-19.

 

Dr Drame Tiguidanké (Guinea)

General practitioner with 6 years working with the NTDs Program in Guinea. She has participated extensively in the monitoring and evaluation of the leprosy program in Guinea. After her Master’s degree, she plans to implement new approaches to strengthen the health care system of her country.

 

 

Dr Gaetan Robert Adouaka (Central Africa Republic)

General practitioner he used to be consultant at the WHO Central Africa Office where he worked for 6 years in the field of planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of epidemiological surveillance, routine vaccination (RI) and supplementary vaccination activities (SIA) at the district level and health region of the country as technical assistant of the IVD program. He has also worked at the central level in the context of strengthening the capacity of health workers and partners operating in the different districts. Previously, he worked as an emergency physician with MSF during the crisis from 2013 to 2015. His area of interest is epidemiology and research.

 

Dr Agbemadon Kokou Eliké (Togo)

General practitioner with previous training in sexual and reproductive health rights. He has been involved since 2015 with HIV control activities in various positions. In his last position, he actively worked with Action Contre le Sida (ACS) an NGO based in Lomé towards achieving the UNAIDS objectives by providing prevention and care services to highly vulnerable groups.