Prof. Romain Glèlè Kakai joins the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium as a group lead on malaria

Professor Romain Glèlè Kakai is a Full Professor of Biostatistics and Forest Estimations at the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) and leads the EDCTP-funded TEBWA project (Training Epidemiologists and Biostatisticians for enhanced response to disease outbreak and epidemic in West-Africa). TEBWA aims to enhance West Africa’s research capacity in epidemiology and biostatistics to respond efficiently to disease outbreaks and emerging (and re-emerging) infectious diseases.

Prof. Glèlè Kakai has joined the VIMC (Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium) following their request for proposals. Prof. Romain Glèlè Kakai proposed a hybrid mathematical model that has been selected by the VIMC, and he has been appointed as a group Lead on Malaria modelling. It should be noted that a total of 3 models were selected. A model from the Imperial School, London (Lucy Okell) and another from Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia (Melissa Penny). More information about the new modelling groups is available on VIMC’s website.

Prof. Glèlè Kakai has also secured several other collaborative grants aiming at building capacity of African youth in biostatistics and infectious disease modelling in Africa. For example, he is participating in the Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium DELTAS Africa II, which received a Pan-African grant (funded by AU) for Advanced Biostatistics training; the “One Health Project and Health Risk Analysis (OHARIS)” in Benin, and the INSPIRE-UAC (INnovation Santé Publique Internationale Recherche Enseignement).