Using big data to track HIV and COVID in Africa
Official title: Role of Data Streams In Informing Infection Dynamics in Africa- INFORM Africa
Funded at Institute of Human Virology · NIH-11395069 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines existing health and population data from Nigeria and South Africa to improve how we detect and understand the spread of HIV and COVID.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute of Human Virology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Abuja, Nigeria) |
| Project start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $24,017 |
| NIH project number | 3U54TW012041-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395069 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV or those affected by COVID in Nigeria or South Africa, and communities whose health data are included in the participating datasets, are most directly relevant to this project.
✕Less likely to help
People outside Nigeria and South Africa or whose health information is not part of the data sources may not see direct benefit from this project's data efforts.
What this research studies
The team will link and analyze large existing datasets from Nigeria and South Africa, including HIV and coronavirus records, to create population-scale data streams. They will apply advanced computing, spatial statistics, and other analytics to map where infections are rising and how they move through communities. Partners at local research centers, government agencies, and industry will work together to make these analyses useful for public-health actions. The Hub aims to speed up detection of outbreaks and guide testing, treatment, and prevention efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help health officials find outbreaks sooner and target testing, treatment, and prevention to reduce infections.
How similar studies have gone: Similar big-data and digital-surveillance methods have shown promise for detecting outbreaks elsewhere, but applying them at this population scale across African settings is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Institute of Human Virology
Abuja, Nigeria Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abimiku, Alash'le G. — Institute of Human Virology
- Study coordinator: Abimiku, Alash'le G.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.