STEAM-3D: A New Era of Data-Driven Public Health Decision Making in Africa
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has been awarded a Global Health EDCTP3 Grant for the Sustainable Training in Epidemiological Analysis and Modelling for Data-Driven Decision Making in Africa (STEAM-3D) project. The SAMRC has partnered with Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique), the University of Malawi (Malawi), Douala General Hospital (Cameroon) and the University of Hasselt (Belgium) to strengthen Sub-Saharan Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging infectious diseases through advanced training in epidemiology, biostatistics, and mathematical modelling.
The SAMRC research units involved in this project are the Biostatistics Research Unit, Burden of Disease Research Unit, Health Systems Research Unit, Cochrane South Africa and the HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit,
The consortium will deliver intensive multidisciplinary workshops across South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, and Cameroon, before expanding to all Sub-Saharan African countries. The training will combine theoretical methods with practical application using real-world public health datasets and will place strong emphasis on translating scientific evidence into policy and practice.
Participants will receive specialised training in developing interactive dashboards, online learning platforms, and communication tools that support effective engagement with policymakers, programme managers, and the public. The initiative will further strengthen evidence-informed decision-making by integrating modelling evidence with broader health policy considerations.
A particularly novel aspect of the STEAM-3D project is its integration of Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone countries within a single collaborative training and research platform. By bridging linguistic and regional divides across Sub-Saharan Africa, the project aims to promote inclusive knowledge exchange, strengthen cross-country collaboration, and build a truly pan-African network of expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and modelling.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the programme will establish a mentorship pipeline for emerging African researchers and promote the use of accessible open-source technologies such as R, Python, GitHub, and free web-development platforms. Training materials and outputs will remain publicly available beyond the project period, enabling continued learning and regional adaptation in English, French, and Portuguese.
The project will also establish an Infectious Disease Modelling Working Group hosted by the SAMRC to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and South-South partnerships among African researchers and policymakers. STEAM-3D seeks to strengthen regional preparedness for future pandemics and improve the use of high-quality evidence in healthcare decision-making across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Learn more about STEAM 3D through this newly launched website: https://steam-3d.samrc.ac.za/