L’analyse des données au service de la surveillance des maladies tropicales négligées : le pari réussi de la formation en R au Niger

août 4th, 2025

In a country where the burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remains a public health challenge, Niger has undertaken a strategic transformation to strengthen its capacity to analyze and leverage epidemiological data. Learn how Bluesquare is supporting key stakeholders through technical assistance on data use to inform decision-making, as part of a project funded by the Gates Foundation.

Strengthening Data Analysis and Utilization Capacities

In March 2025, a significant milestone was achieved with the organization of a training workshop in R, a powerful open-source language dedicated to statistical analysis.

The objective? To equip stakeholders from the National Program for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis (NPELFO), Regional Directorates of Public Health, and health districts to enhance post-elimination surveillance of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis through advanced data use.

The specific goals of the training were to:

  • Introduce participants to the R and RStudio environment;
  • Strengthen skills in descriptive statistics applied to NTD data;
  • Facilitate analysis, visualization, and modeling of data from mass drug administration campaigns and prevalence surveys;
  • Foster an internal dynamic to promote program data through the drafting of scientific articles.

Held from March 4 to 7, 2025, in Niamey, the workshop brought together 25 participants. Led by Bluesquare, the event combined theoretical sessions on statistical fundamentals, practical work using real NPELFO data, and group mini-projects focused on analyzing key surveillance indicators.

A Particularly Successful Training

The results of this R training were striking, clearly demonstrating its effectiveness. Participants showed a remarkable improvement in their skills:

  • Average pre-test score: 7.1/20
  • Average post-test score: 16.5/20

Which means a gain of +9.4 points, or a 130% improvement!

The participants expressed high levels of satisfaction, completed initial use cases (exploratory analyses by region, gender, and type of NTD), and a post-training momentum has already been set in motion. In fact, NPELFO has expressed the intention to create a scientific unit to produce research publications.

This training represents far more than just technical capacity building — it promises a lasting impact. It embodies:

  • Local ownership of modern analytical tools;
  • A springboard for more data-driven decision-making;
  • A foundation for institutionalizing a data culture in the fight against NTDs.

With this success, Niger is laying the groundwork to expand this initiative to other regions and programs. The training model could be replicated in other countries in the sub-region, in alignment with the strategic directions of the World Health Organization and partners like the Gates Foundation.

Congratulations and thank you to all those involved, especially Dr. Salissou Adamou, Program Coordinator, for his trust and leadership.

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