Introduction

The Biostatistics Department was established in 1994 as one of six academic Departments of the School of Public Health. The Department started with a core of two full time faculty with a focus on teaching Biostatistics and Research Methods. In 2004, a Masters Program in Health Informatics was designed and mounted. The first batch of Master of Science (MSc.) candidates for the 18-month program were admitted in 2005. At the time, the program was the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, a review of the program was carried out, leading to a number of changes, including a change of the program to a 12-month Master of Health informatics (MHI) degree. 

The Department currently has seven (7) full-time faculty including one Associate Professor, five (5) Senior Lecturers and Lecturer. Since its establishment, the Department has contributed to research output through its collaboration with both faculty and students in the School and external collaborators.

 

Goals of the Department

The Biostatistics Department seeks:

1. To become a centre of Excellence for Health Information Management and Health Informatics Training in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
2. To be at the cutting edge of Applied Biostatistics and Health Informatics research.
3. To promote health through best practices in health information and information communication technologies.
4. Establish a reputation for being a leading innovative centre for Biostatistical methodology relevant for public Health research and practice.