Roland Mady and Ivory Coast team members at Countdown’s annual meeting in 2025.
With deep sadness, we share that Countdown researcher Mr. Roland Mesmer Gouda Mady passed away on May 14, 2026, at the age of 38 from gastric cancer. Mady was a statistician and a valued member of the country collaborations in Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.
“Roland was a cheerful colleague who was always approachable, kind, and deeply respectful of everyone,” said Dr. Cheikh Faye, project director of Countdown to 2030. “His untimely passing is a great loss, and he will be deeply missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him.”
Dr. Agbessi Amouzou, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who was Mady’s mentor said, “At Countdown to 2030, we knew Roland as a rare combination of strategic vision, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and generosity. Beyond his scientific contributions and professional excellence, he was deeply valued for his mentorship, encouragement, and willingness to create opportunities for others to grow. He inspired colleagues to embrace innovation, experiment boldly, and pursue continuous learning, leaving a lasting impact on many careers and lives.”
At the time of his passing, Mady served as a Research Associate II in the Global Disease Epidemiology and Control Program within the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His statistical expertise supported evidence generation and informed public health policies in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in reproductive health, nutrition, and maternal and child health.
“Roland was a wonderful colleague who contributed significantly to our community,” said Dr. Judd Walson, chair of the Department of International. “His contributions to our community and to women and children’s health were significant and the impact of his work will live on.”
Born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire, Mady earned a master’s degree in statistics from École Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et d’Économie Appliquée and a master’s degree in economic policy management from Félix Houphouët-Boigny University.
“Roland brought so much joy and positivity to our team, and his absence will be felt profoundly,” said Dr. Pierre Akimali of the University of Kinshasa.
Some examples of Mady’s work:
- Insights from the MICS Conference: Exploring Process quality in Child Curative Care in the DRC
- Improving Mortality Data for Action: CAM 2025
- Health service readiness and quality for sick child care: an effective coverage analysis in eight low- and middle-income countries