Ten emerging African researchers will form the 2024 cohort of the Countdown to 2030 (CD2030) fellowship program, participating in a yearlong training program to advance research on a wide range of topics related to Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N).
Below is the list of selected fellows:
- Eliane Assokom from Université de Douala in Cameroon, study titled Exploration de la croissance pubertaire chez la jeune fille (6 à 17 ans) au Cameroun, épidémiologie et facteurs associés (Exploration of pubertal growth in young girls (aged 6 to 17) in Cameroon, epidemiology and associated factors.)
- Sable Parfait Stephane from Université Félix Houphouët Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire, study titled Etude des Disparités et ees Déterminants du Faible Poids de Naissance en Côte d’Ivoire de 2018 a 2023 (Disparities and determinants of low birth weight in Côte d’Ivoire [2018-2023]).
- Mamadou Abdoulaye R. Diallo from National Institute of Public Health in Guinea, study titled Connaissances, attitudes et pratiques en matière de prévention de la transmission du VIH de la mère à l’enfant (PTME) chez les femmes en âge de procréer dans la zone urbaine de N’zerekore (République de Guinée) (Knowledge Attitude and Practices of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV(PMTCT) among women of Childbearing Age, in the urban area of N’zerekore [Republic of Guinea]).
- Chikondi Chapuma from the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF) in Malawi study titled Understanding Severe Maternal Infections in Malawi and Uganda: A Secondary Data Analysis.
- Salisu Ladan from the National AIDS and STD control programme at the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria, study titled Evaluation of the effectiveness of PMTCT of HIV in 12 selected service points in northwest Nigeria.
- Albert Ndagijimana from the University of Rwanda, study titled Understanding socioeconomic inequalities of childhood stunting in the Northern Province of Rwanda.
- Khaly Gueye from the Ministère de la Santé et de l’Action Sociale in Senegal, study titled Évaluation de l’effet des mutuelles de santé communautaire sur les soins de santé du couple mère enfant en milieu rural au Sénégal en 2022 (Evaluation of the effect of community health workers on the health care of the mother-child couple in rural Senegal in 2022).
- Jacqueline Minja from the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, study titled Trend and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding in Tanzania: Evidence from Tanzania demographic and health surveys (TDHS 2022).
- Rogers Nsubuga from the Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University in Uganda, study titled Spatial analysis of impact of season variations on immunization coverage among children in Refugee Settlements, Uganda.
- Juliet Nyamasve from the University of Zimbabwe, study titled Trend analysis of maternal mortality and economic policies in Zimbabwe.
Launched in 2023, the CD2030 Fellowship Program is a multilateral collaboration to strengthen analytical capacities for monitoring and tracking the progress of life-saving interventions for RMNCAH+N in African countries that have ongoing Countdown collaborations. The application period for the 2024 cohort was open from November 17 -December 17, 2023. In total, 68 applications from 20 countries were received.
The selection committee reviewed applicants based on the scientific merit and significance of their proposed research question and methods and how well the proposed research fit with the applicant’s background, qualifications, and career goals. Candidates were ranked within the applicant pool from each country, and the top-ranked candidate from each country was selected. The selection process for ten successful fellows included considerations of gender equity and fair distribution across countries, including Anglophone and Francophone African countries.
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) coordinates the implementation of the CD2030 Fellowship Program. The selection committee included Countdown researchers from APHRC, Johns Hopkins University, the International Center for Equity in Health at Pelotas University, the University of Manitoba, the Global Financing Facility, and the University of Southampton.