The Department of Health Records and Information Management (HRIM) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is working with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington to improve the nutrition of mothers and children across Kenya.
The IHME-JKUAT project involves building a “digital laboratory” where researchers create thousands of virtual Kenyan mothers and babies to test which health programs work best. Instead of waiting years for real world results, these computer simulations fast forward time to predict how new multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) will keep mothers healthy during pregnancy and help more babies be born at a healthy weight.
By running these “what-if” scenarios in a safe digital world, the team can show exactly how to save the most lives at cost, across different counties before any changes are actually put into practice.
Recently, the IHME team led by Prof. Abraham Flaxman, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington, together with project officer Sylvia Lutze and research scientist Zeb Burke-Conten visited JKUAT to check on the progress of three PhD students namely: Violet Nafula Makokha, Osoti Osoti Robert, and Amos Eugene Kiptum, whose theses focused on this project.
The visit was part of an ongoing mentorship program, through which the IHME team has been guiding the students in applying advanced modeling techniques and refining their research.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Betsy Rono, Chair of the Department of Health Records and Information Management (HRIM), commended the IHME team for their dedication to advancing global health research and mentorship. She emphasized that their collaborative work is not only strengthening academic capacity at JKUAT but also generating evidence that could support Kenya’s Ministry of Health in making informed decisions.
“We deeply appreciate the IHME team’s commitment to building local expertise while addressing global health challenges. Their mentorship of our PhD students and partnership with HRIM ensures that Kenya remains at the forefront of evidence based health policy,” said Dr. Rono
The workshop brought together lecturers and students from different departments. Among key participants were, Dr. John Gachohi Chair of Department of Environmental Health and Disease Control, Prof. Sherry Oluchina, (HRIM), Dr. Lawrence Nderu, Founder of JHUB Africa and Dr Rono.
Research Scientist Zeb Burke‑Conte, assisted by other IHME members, guided participants in groups on how to design a microsimulation. He led them through identifying causes, risks, and interventions, emphasizing clear data strategies and limitations, and spoke on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). The group presentations demonstrated how microsimulation can predict outcomes, inform health policy decisions, and support national decision‑making.
JKUAT staff together with the IHME team after the insightful interactions.