Using data and simulations to predict health trends and inform public health policy across Africa.
CEMA stands for Center for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis. The "modelling" in CEMA refers to using data and simulations to predict health trends.
Founded in 2020 at the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya, CEMA was established to strengthen Africa's health data and modeling capacity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CEMA brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, clinicians, mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, and data scientists, with a mission of using data and modeling to inform public health policy and strengthen epidemic preparedness.
CEMA was founded in 2020 by Professor Thumbi Mwangi and Dr. Loice Ombajo, in partnership with the University of Nairobi and global collaborators, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world needed answers, fast!
CEMA contributed majorly during the COVID-19 pandemic, modelling the spread of COVID-19 and supporting national surveillance and response.
"In that moment of urgency, the founding team saw both a challenge and an opportunity: to use data not just to understand the crisis, but to shape Kenya's response and save lives."
Leading research and capacity strengthening to address Africa's public health challenges
Leading research in disease modeling, clinical trials, and health economics.
Informing national and regional health policies with data-driven decisions.
Training young African scientists in data science, epidemiology, and modeling.
Partnering with universities, government agencies, and research bodies.
CEMA focuses on epidemiology, health economics, and clinical research
Understanding how diseases spread and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of interventions to inform public health decisions.
Under CEMA's health economic research, HTA evaluates the value for money of health interventions to inform policy decisions.
Conducting clinical trials and observational studies on infectious diseases like HIV to generate evidence that directly informs clinical practice.
Linking human, animal, and environmental health data to understand zoonotic and environmental drivers of diseases such as Rift Valley Fever and antimicrobial resistance.
The CLIMA initiative quantifies the health, social, and economic benefits of climate action in Kenya. Using atmospheric modelling and health impact assessments, it guides evidence-based policies in sectors like energy and transport.