Epidemiologist

You are the detective of the medical world – tracing how diseases spread, who they affect, and how to stop them.

What this life looks like

Every time a new disease outbreak begins, every time a public health programme is evaluated, every time a government needs to know which diseases are killing the most people and why – epidemiologists are at the centre of the response. As an Epidemiologist you study the distribution and determinants of disease in populations. You design studies to understand why some people get sick and others do not, analyse data to identify risk factors, track disease trends over time, investigate outbreaks, and translate your findings into evidence that guides health policy and programmes. Epidemiology is the foundational science of public health. The COVID-19 pandemic brought epidemiologists to global attention – but the work of tracking and controlling infectious diseases, cancer, malnutrition, and chronic disease has been going on quietly in Africa for decades, often with limited resources and enormous impact. Africa needs epidemiologists who are trained to work with African data, African health systems, and African disease patterns.

What she actually does

An Epidemiologist designs and conducts research studies including cohort studies, case-control studies, randomised trials, and surveillance programmes. They analyse health data using statistical methods, investigate disease outbreaks, develop and test disease prevention strategies, publish research findings in scientific journals, advise governments and health organisations on disease trends and intervention priorities, and build the evidence base for health policy.

Where you can work

Sector	Places in Africa
National public health institutes and disease control centres	the Africa CDC and national equivalents
Academic research departments at African universities and research institutions	Makerere University School of Public Health (Uganda); University of Ghana School of Public Health; University of Cape Town Division of Epidemiology; CAPRISA, University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)
International health organisations	WHO, UNAIDS, and CDC global programmes
NGOs conducting health research	African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET); Amref Health Africa; Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI); Population Services International (PSI) Africa
Ministries of health	Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Ghana Health Service (Epidemiology Division); Kenya Ministry of Health Disease Surveillance Unit; Ethiopia's Public Health Institute (EPHI)
Pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials	Pfizer, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson — all with major Africa-based clinical trial sites in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria; EDCTP-funded trials across sub-Saharan Africa

Why it matters in Africa

Africa carries the highest burden of infectious disease in the world – and the continent's ability to respond depends on having epidemiologists who can track disease trends, investigate outbreaks, and evaluate interventions. The Ebola outbreaks in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo demonstrated both the devastating consequences of weak epidemiological surveillance and the life-saving impact of rapid epidemiological response. Building a pipeline of African epidemiologists who understand African diseases in African contexts is one of the most important investments in the continent's health security.

Your pathway in

A first degree in medicine, biology, statistics, or a social science provides the foundation. You then pursue a Master of Science in Epidemiology or a Master of Public Health with an epidemiology concentration, available at institutions including Makerere University School of Public Health, the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Town, the African Institute for Health and Development, and many others. A PhD in epidemiology opens academic and senior research pathways. Practical fieldwork experience – including field epidemiology training programmes modelled on the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service – is extremely valuable.

Skills you will need

Technical: Epidemiological study design, biostatistics, disease surveillance, data analysis using tools like R and Stata, outbreak investigation methodology, and scientific writing. Human: Systematic and analytical thinking, the ability to communicate complex data findings clearly to non-technical audiences including government officials and journalists, and the persistence to see long-term studies through to completion. Digital tools: Statistical analysis software including R, SAS, and Stata, GIS mapping tools for tracking disease geography, database management, and epidemiological modelling software.

A woman in this field

Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim

South Africa

South African infectious diseases epidemiologist and one of the world's leading AIDS researchers, with pioneering contributions in understanding the evolving HIV epidemic among young women while advocating for the rights of people living with and affected by HIV. She is Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA, Professor in Clinical Epidemiology at Columbia University, Pro-Vice Chancellor for African Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and President of The World Academy of Science (TWAS). Her landmark CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel trial demonstrated for the first time that antiretrovirals can prevent HIV infection, laying the foundation for PrEP globally and highlighted by Science magazine as one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2010. She has trained over 600 scientists across southern Africa and received the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award.

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Take your first step

Mathematics and Statistics are as important as Biology for epidemiology – epidemiology is a quantitative science and you cannot do it well without being comfortable with numbers and data. Start building your statistical thinking now. Look at the Africa CDC and WHO Africa websites to see real epidemiological surveillance data and outbreak reports – this will give you a concrete sense of what epidemiologists produce. If your school has any science fair or research project component, design a small study that counts and categorises something in your community – that instinct for systematic observation is the beginning of epidemiological thinking.