DST-HIRWA project empowers a new generation of health data scientists in Rwanda

The future of healthcare is increasingly being shaped by data, and at the University of Rwanda, a transformative initiative is helping build the expertise needed to turn data into better health outcomes. Through the Data Science Training for Health in Rwanda (DST-HIRWA) project, the University is equipping researchers, lecturers and young scientists with advanced data science skills to address Rwanda’s most pressing public health challenges.

Implemented through the University of Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and e-Health, the NIH-funded DST-HIRWA project brings together the University of Rwanda, Washington University in St. Louis and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Rwanda to strengthen sustainable capacity in health data science.

Through DST-HIRWA, researchers, lecturers, and emerging scientists have gained advanced data science skills to tackle Rwanda’s most pressing public health challenges

The project supports master’s, PhD, postdoctoral and junior faculty training through scholarships, research funding, boot camps, mentorship, grant writing, scientific publishing and collaborative research. Beyond producing graduates, it is creating a critical mass of experts capable of transforming health data into evidence that informs policy and improves healthcare delivery.

Among them is Brigitte Umutoni, a PhD student in Public Health at the University of Rwanda, whose research combines mathematics, data science and public health to predict disease outbreaks and improve population health. According to her, data is the foundation of effective public health because it helps to understand disease trends, identify risk factors and predict future outbreaks.

"The project has strengthened my skills in data science, modelling and research, enabling me to develop practical solutions that can improve health outcomes," she said.

Brigitte Umutoni (left), a PhD student in Public Health at the University of Rwanda, is among the young researchers benefiting from DST-HIRWA’s capacity-building support

Brigitte hopes to continue applying data science in public health research while mentoring more women and girls to pursue careers in mathematics and data science, helping build an inclusive pipeline of future scientists.

For Dr Emmy Mugisha, a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Health Informatics, the project has strengthened both his research and teaching.

"The skills I’ve gained enable us to analyse large volumes of health data and transform them into actionable insights that help policymakers identify disease trends, allocate resources effectively and design evidence-based interventions," he said, adding that Data-driven decision-making is essential for strengthening healthcare systems, especially in underserved communities.

Dr. Emmy Mugisha (standing) engages Master’s and PhD candidates in an interactive exchange and practical learning in health data science

As DST-HIRWA continues to expand Rwanda’s health data science ecosystem, their impact extends far beyond the classroom. By developing highly skilled researchers, strengthening institutional capacity and promoting evidence-based healthcare, the initiatives are laying the foundation for more resilient health systems and healthier communities in Rwanda and across the region.