The Eastern Africa Geo-Health Hub Workshop

Research and training workshop focused on environmental and occupational health in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo 

December 12, 2022

Columbia Global Centers | Nairobi hosted the Eastern Africa GEOHealth Hub workshop from Dec. 5-8, 2022, after its launch at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. The hub is a research and training center focused on environmental and occupational health in eastern Africa.

Sessions were led by Dr. Kiros Berhane, a principal investigator in the Hub who is also the Cynthia and Robert Citron-Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Professor and chairman of the Department of Biostatistics at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Healthand Dr. Jonathan Samet, a principal investigator of the hub from Colorado School of Public Health.

Experts from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Congo engaged on the lessons they continue to learn on the hub's ongoing research components on:

  • Indoor and outdoor air quality and health
  • Occupational health, with emphasis on agriculture
  • Climate change and health

Health problems stemming from environmental and occupational hazards and climate change are escalating in the Eastern African region, and pollution resulting from increasing population, rapid urbanization, and industrialization is a growing concern which is why this research is deemed necessary. The Eastern Africa, GEOHealth Hub headquarters are housed at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and Columbia University, respectively, for the research and training components.

Training initiatives are supported by a consortium of U.S.-based experts from Columbia University, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Research initiatives are ongoing across eastern Africa led by researchers at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Makerere University, Uganda; University of Nairobi, Kenya; and University of Rwanda, Rwanda.