We are delighted to announce our newly published review, titled ‘Exploring the Landscape of Essential Health Data Science Skills and Research Challenges: A Survey of Stakeholders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America & the Caribbean’in Frontiers Public Health-Public Health Education & Promotion. This is a joint initiative involving Health Data Research UK, Fiocruz (Brazil), icddr,b (Bangladesh) and The Global Health Network in Africa. 

Data science approaches have been pivotal in addressing public health challenges. However, there has been limited focus on identifying essential data science skills for global health researchers, and gaps and challenges in related capacity building. 

To better understand the data science skills required, and current gaps, requirements and solutions to strengthen capacity building, an online survey was conducted across Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to get views from global health researchers and other key stakeholders. This paper sets out insights from the survey. Key findings were:  

  • High degree of consensus: analysis of survey responses highlighted the high degree of consensus across regions on the essential health data science skills required for health research, supporting the case for developing a structured and standardised global framework for capacity building in these skills. 
  • Need for greater funding and resources: responses provided rich insights into the challenges facing health researchers and practitioners in using data science approaches to address global health priorities.  A major challenge identified by respondents is the limited funding and resources for related training and research.  
  • Data access, governance and infrastructure challenges: the survey findings highlighted how data access and governance issues further complicate the landscape. Challenges with data quality, infrastructure and privacy are consistent with other studies that have identified these as major barriers to effective data science practices 

The review underlines the critical role of data science in advancing global health research and emphasises the universal recognition that data science skills are essential in accelerating health research insights across Africa, Asia and LAC.  Recommendations arising from the survey for key stakeholders are: 

Funders (government agencies, international organisations, private sector) 

  • Increase long-term investment in health data science training programmes 
  • Provide grants for early-career researchers 
  • Establish funding streams for digital transformation and improvements in data quality, access, and infrastructure. 

Academic Institutions 

  • Develop standardised curricula for health data science capacity development 
  • Expand mentorship programmes 
  • Integrate practical data science training into public health and medical education 

Governments and policy makers 

  • Create national and regional data science hubs 
  • Support the rollout of standardised health science curricula 
  • Establish data governance frameworks and align digital health policies with global initiatives. 

Research Institutions and networks 

  • Strengthen multidisciplinary collaborations 
  • Provide open-access training materials
  • Develop knowledge-sharing platforms to encourage collaboration.  

This study builds on a recently HDR UK published review ‘Current Data Science Capacity Build Initiatives for Health Researchers in LMICs: Global and Regional Efforts‘, also published in Frontiers Public Health-Public Health Education & Promotion, which sets out the current landscape of initiatives designed to strengthen data science skills for health researchers and practitioners in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)). This aligns with HDR UK’s commitment to data science capacity building, including the organisation’s Futures platform, which provides access to free health data science training and capacity building resources globally.  

By setting out approaches to building expertise, establishing career development pathways and investing in a more structured initiatives for data science capacity building, this work aims to help address key gaps and barriers faced by health researchers and practitioners in using data science approaches to address global health challenges.

Read the full publication