SAE4Health in WHO Workshops Across Africa

The SAE4Health platform was a cornerstone of a series of WHO-led workshops across Africa, focused on strengthening country capacity to analyze subnational health data. With maternal health as a central theme, participants gained hands-on experience using the sae4health R Shiny app to generate localized estimates and inform data-driven decision-making.

Kigali: The Launch of SAE4Health

The first public rollout of SAE4Health took place in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 18–20, 2024, during a multi-country workshop co-organized by WHO, the Buffet Foundation, and the Rwandan Ministry of Health. Participants from 10 countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia — gathered to explore how subnational data could improve maternal health outcomes, particularly around antenatal care and unsafe abortion.

Key sessions were led by Dr. Haidong Wang and Charlton Callender from WHO, alongside Professor Jon Wakefield, who introduced the SAE modeling framework. Yunhan Wu presented the sae4health app, guiding participants through its interface and functionality.

Participants of the regional SAE4Health workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, June 2024. Source: (https://x.com/WHORwanda/status/1803155257301561593)

Using their own country data, participants conducted SAE analysis, produced maps of maternal health indicators (e.g., ANC 4+), and interpreted model results. For many, it was the first time generating actionable model-based estimates through an interactive, no-code interface. The workshop closed with discussions on integration of SAE outputs into country strategies and plans for continued WHO technical support.

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Deepening Capacity: SAE4Health Training in Burkina Faso

From November 6–8, 2024, a national SAE4Health workshop was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, organized by WHO and the Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso. The training aimed to build local capacity to use SAE for maternal health planning.

Participants received instruction from WHO experts and remote facilitators from the University of Washington, including Professor Jon Wakefield and Yunhan Wu. They learned to install and run the SAE4Health app, apply SAE models to national data, and generate subnational estimates of indicators such as ANC 4+ coverage. To support French-speaking participants, translated materials were provided for the statistical methods introduction and hands-on guidance, ensuring full engagement.

Participants in Burkina Faso using the sae4health app during hands-on sessions.

SAE4Health at WHO Regional Workshop in Senegal

From November 26–28, 2024, the SAE4Health platform was featured at the WHO Regional Capacity-Building Workshop held in Somone, Senegal. The event was organized by the WHO and Senegal's Ministry of Health and Social Action, bringing together experts across Senegal to strengthen technical capacity in subnational health estimation.

The workshop focused on:

• Small area estimation using the sae4health R Shiny app
• Disaggregation and analysis of maternal health data
• Supporting evidence-based decision-making and program planning

“After two days of training with expertise from WHO Geneva, Senegal is strengthening its ability to leverage subnational health data in the area of SRMNIA (maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition). This process will help develop more targeted policies to reduce maternal mortality.” – (https://x.com/OMS_SENEGAL/status/1862450061617078704)

Group photo from the SAE4Health capacity-building workshop – November 2024, Somone, Senegal. Source: (https://x.com/OMS_SENEGAL/status/1862450061617078704)

Capacity Building with SAE4Health: Nigeria Workshops

In collaboration with Professor Jon Wakefield and his team, based at the University of Washington, the Government of Nigeria, with support from UNICEF and GAVI, has spearheaded the development of DHS and MICS small area estimation (SAE) methodology for Nigeria.

The Nigerian government has recently passed a law to directly send funding to Local Government Areas (LGAs) which requires more data-informed planning and monitoring of programs at LGA level.

Jon Wakefield visited Abuja, Nigeria, from November 25-30, 2024, and attended meetings with the National Bureau of Statistics and key stakeholders from line ministries, state level bureau of statistics and other partners.

This collaboration is ongoing and was followed up with two remote workshops, held over zoom, in January, 2025. Jon Wakefield returned to Nigeria and was in Kano State from March 18-21, where government representatives from 9 States convened to continue the collaboration and showcase the new app that carried out SAE using MICS 2016 and MICS 2021 survey data.

Photos taken during Nigeria workshops.

Additional Workshops and Short Courses on Small Area Estimation

• Small Area Estimation
  UNICEF Workshop on Maternal and Child Health, Côte d'Ivoire, November 2024 — Taught by Jon Wakefield and Yunhan Wu. Remote.

• Small Area Estimation
  Summer Institutes in Statistics for Clinical and Epidemiological Research (SIS), University of Washington July 2020, July 2021, July 2022 - Taught by Jon Wakefield. Remote.

• Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality
  United Nations Workshop, Quito, Ecuador, May 2019 — Taught by Jon Wakefield and Katie Wilson. In person.

• Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality
  United Nations Workshop, Johannesburg, South Africa, May 2019 — Taught by Jon Wakefield and Katie Wilson. In person.

• Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality
  United Nations Workshop, Blantyre, Malawi, November 2019 — Taught by Jon Wakefield. In person.

• Child Mortality Estimation
  Joint UNICEF–WHO Regional Workshop, Jordan, April 2019 — Taught by Richard Li. In person.

• Bayesian Small Area Estimation using Complex Data
  CSSS 20th Anniversary Conference, University of Washington, May 2018 Taught by Jon Wakefield. In person.

• 2-Day Short Course: Bayesian Small Area Estimation using Complex Survey Data
  Asian Population Association Conference, Shanghai, China — Taught by Richard Li and Samuel Clark. In person.

• 2-Day Short Course: Bayesian Small Area Estimation using Complex Survey Data
  Population Association of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, USA — Taught by Jon Wakefield, Richard Li, and Samuel Clark. In person.