Using data science to improve health management in Africa
Official title: MADIVA (Multimorbidity in Africa: Digital innovation, visualisation and application)
Funded at Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD · NIH-11127794 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about helping nurses and clinic managers in South Africa and Kenya use easy-to-understand tools to track health data, so they can better manage patients with multiple health issues, even if they don't have a background in data science.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Parktown, South Africa) |
| Project start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $76,399 |
| NIH project number | 3U54TW012077-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127794 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are health officials and clinic managers in South Africa and Kenya who deal with multimorbidity in their communities.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not involved in health management or do not have access to clinics utilizing the developed dashboards may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on addressing multimorbidity in Africa by developing and evaluating user-friendly dashboards for health officials, such as nurses and clinic managers. These dashboards will help track health data in their clinics and districts, even for those without formal training in data science. The project includes assessing the visual literacy of these stakeholders and creating training materials to enhance their ability to interpret and utilize data effectively. The training will be conducted in South Africa and Kenya, aiming to empower local health workers with essential data skills.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve health management and patient outcomes in African communities by enabling better data-driven decision-making.
How similar studies have gone: Similar research has shown promise in improving health outcomes through data literacy and visualization training, indicating a potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
Parktown, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hazelhurst, Scott — Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
- Study coordinator: Hazelhurst, Scott
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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.