EpiConsultAfrica is a non-profit organization striving to improve the quality of research conducted in the field of Biomedical Sciences in Africa.
About Us
EpiconsultAfrica is a non-profit organization conceived on April 16, 2020, by Dr. Abel B. Ekiri and established on August 6, 2021, by the management partners, Dr Abel B. Ekiri, Prof Margaret Khaitsa and Assoc Prof Patrick Pithua. The goal of EpiconsultAfrica is to improve the quality of research conducted in the field of Biomedical Sciences in Africa. The disciplines targeted include human medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and other relevant disciplines in the field of Biomedical Sciences.
The focus of EpiconsultAfrica is to mentor students (postgraduate and undergraduate) and junior scientists (researchers, teachers, and academics) engaged in education and/or research at higher education and/or research institutions in Africa. The higher education institutions targeted include Veterinary, Medical, and Public Health, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry Colleges or Schools. The mentorship is provided in three key areas: (1) research study design and methodology, (2) data analysis, and (3) manuscript writing and science communication.
Compared to developed nations, higher education and research institutions in Africa face a disproportionate challenge of limited expertise in research methodology, data analysis and manuscript writing. This shortage of expertise negatively affects the quality of research conducted, compromising the potential wide dissemination and application of research findings. To address the challenge of inadequate expertise, EpiConsultAfrica is developing a forum that brings together individuals with vast expertise and students and scientists seeking mentorship, to interact and get guidance on scientific methods including best practices in the design of research studies, data analysis and science communication in journals and the lay press.
EpiConsultAfrica is staffed by a diverse team of experts from around the world including data scientists, epidemiologists, public health specialists, social scientists, economists, communication specialists, veterinary, nursing, dentistry and medical practitioners. These individuals have generously agreed to voluntarily and freely contribute two hours of their professional time once every 4 months towards mentorship. The mentoring involves sharing their extensive expertise and experiences with students and junior scientists on issues related to scientific methods and research design, data management and analysis, and scientific writing and publication. The students and junior scientists seeking assistance must sign up and register with EpiConsultAfrica, post questions on the EpiConsultAfrica subject specific forum, to which individuals with relevant expertise will respond. Response to questions posted may be brief and addressed directly on the forum or may require a deeper discussion and may be taken offline as appropriate.
Who Benefits?
Students (postgraduate and undergraduate)
- Masters and PhD students enrolled in any relevant discipline in the Biomedical Sciences at higher education institutions in Africa.
- Veterinary, medical, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and public health professional students in final year or completing student projects at higher education institutions in Africa, and
Junior Scientists (researchers, teachers, and academics)
- Junior Researchers include individuals involved in research at higher education institutions or research institutions in Africa.
- Junior Faculty/teachers/academics include Teaching Assistants, Lecturers, and/or Assistant Professors involved in research, and/or teaching and training, and/or supervision of undergraduate, professional students, and postgraduate (Masters’ and PhD) students at higher education and research institutions in Africa.
How do individuals that provide mentorship benefit?
The professional time of two hours once every 4 months contributed towards mentorship is strictly voluntary and free.
There are several motivations for individuals that have agreed to generously contribute their expertise including:
- The individual satisfaction gained from knowing they have directly and indirectly contributed to the body of science through the improvement of scientific skills of other individuals, often junior scientists. The aim is acquired skills will be subsequently used to produce better science.
- The individual satisfaction gained from knowing they have ‘given back’ to the institutions that trained them in the early part of their careers, through the mentorship of students and scientists from those institutions.
- The potential new professional collaborations and relationships that may result from working with students and scientists from different disciplines across varying geographical locations of the world.
- Mentors could claim credit in their academic portfolios for volunteering.