Computational Statistician & Data Science Educator, USIU - Africa, School of Science and Technology, Department of Data Science and Analytics, Nairobi, Kenya
Verrha Otiende’s global health focus is on leveraging computational modeling to better understand infectious disease dynamics, with particular attention to tropical diseases and epidemic spread in African contexts. She aims to generate evidence to inform health policy, strengthen data-driven decision-making, and improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings. Her interests in global health equity align with the Center’s themes of empowering women, strengthening systems for health, addressing social and environmental determinants of health, and developing technical solutions. Otiende’s research centers on statistical and computational modeling of infectious diseases to uncover hidden transmission patterns and disparities, particularly in African populations. She focuses on advancing health equity by developing data-driven approaches that support timely diagnosis, resource allocation, and policy interventions in under-resourced settings.
Professor of the Practice of Public Health Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Executive Director, Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program; Former Minister of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
