Statistics Book Gets a Continental Boost at Launch in Nairobi, Kenya

The University of Malawi’s flag flew high at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on 25^th June 2026, when Statistical Modelling for Evidence-Based Public Health, co-edited by Lawrence N. Kazembe (University of Namibia) and Tsirizani Kaombe (UNIMA, School of Natural and Applied Science) was being launched. The event was organised by the Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics Training (SSACAB), as part of its 10^th anniversary celebration. The book comprises 22 chapters contributed by statisticians from across Africa and Europe, with the majority being alumni, collaborators, and principal investigators associated with SSACAB.

The launch attracted statisticians from various countries, including Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Benin, Uganda, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Sudan, among others where SSACAB is active. Representatives from global funding organizations, such as the Wellcome Trust, UK AID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Science for Africa, were also in attendance.

The editors highlighted the book's unique features, including its clear presentation of statistical methods and the inclusion of R software codes in each chapter to facilitate application by users and provide evidence for policymakers. Developed over two years and reviewed by 39 peer reviewers, the book is now available for online order at all Springer distributors, including Amazon. Additionally, it can be accessed at the libraries of the University of Malawi (UNIMA), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES).