Sammy Khagayi

Position before the programme: Data Analyst, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Center for Global Health Research (KEMRI-CGHR) Kisumu HDSS, Kenya
Current Position: Principal Data Analyst, KEMRI-CGHR HDSS Student years at Wits University: 2008 - 2009
Student years at Wits University: 2008 - 2009
Host HDSS centre for the field attachment: Navrongo HDSS, Ghana

"Sammy is currently a PhD student in epidemiology at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute/University of Basel in Switzerland and his research is on Bayesian spatio-temporal estimation of Malaria burden in the Kisumu HDSS.

This is what he has to say about the master's programme: “The programme was very useful since it equipped me with advanced skills in epidemiology and biostatistics which have made me more relevant to my research institution.”

Since completing his masters’ degree, he has been working as a senior data analyst where he is the lead supervisor/coordinator of hospital/clinic surveillance data section. Among his duties are:

  • Leads the data management, planning and implementation of data analysis for assigned studies in the HDSS.
  • Coordinating a WHO/AFRO funded programme for population based rotavirus surveillance for the last 5 years.
  • Manage and control the budget for the hospital surveillance section, write annual technical and financial reports to the various funders.
  • Training junior data analysts, data clerks and data managers on research methodologies, statistics and use of statistical software (SAS, Stata and R).

Sammy had his field attachment at the Navrongo HDSS, Ghana, and his project topic was "Socioeconomic status and elderly adult mortality in rural Ghana: evidence from the Navrongo DSS" which has been published.

Below are his publications:

  • Desai M, Buff AM, Khagayi S, Byass P, Amek N, van Eijk A, et al. (2014) Age-Specific Malaria Mortality Rates in the KEMRI/CDC Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Western Kenya, 2003–2010. PLoS ONE. 2;9(9):e106197.
  • Emukule GO, Khagayi S, McMorrow ML, Ochola R, Otieno N, Widdowson M-A, et al. (2014) The Burden of Influenza and RSV among Inpatients and Outpatients in Rural Western Kenya, 2009–2012. PLoS ONE. 18;9(8):e105543
  • Emukule GO, McMorrow M, Ulloa C, Khagayi S, Njuguna HN, et al. (2014) Predicting Mortality among Hospitalized Children with Respiratory Illness in Western Kenya, 2009–2012. PLoS ONE 9(3): e92968. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092968
  • Khagayi S, Burton DC, Onkoba R, Ochieng B, Ismail A, Mutonga D, Muthoni J, Feikin DR, Breiman RF, Mwenda JM, Odhiambo F, Laserson KF. ( 2014). HYPERLINK "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24343611" High burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in young children in rural Western kenya, 2010-2011. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. ;33 Supplement 1:S34-40
  • Khagayi S, Tate JE, Onkoba R, Parashar U, Odhiambo F, Burton D, Laserson K, Feikin DR, (2014). A sham case-control study of effectiveness of DTP-Hib-hepatitis B vaccine against rotavirus acute gastroenteritis in Kenya. BMC Infectious Disease Journal.
  • Fuller JA, Summers A, Katz MA, Lindblade KA, Njuguna H, Arvelo W, Khagayi S, Emukule G, Linares-Perez N, McCracken J, Nokes J, Ngama M, Kazungu S, Mott JA, Olsen SJ, Widdowson M, Feikin DR. (2013) Estimation of the national disease burden of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in Guatemala and Kenya: A novel methodology. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56882
  • Thompson MG, Breiman RF, Hamel MJ, Desai M, Emukhule G, Khagayi S, Shay DK, Morales K, Kariuki S, Bigogo GM, Njenga MK, Burton DC, Odhiambo F, Feikin DR, Laserson KF, Katz MA. (2012). Influenza and malaria co-infection among young children in western Kenya, 2009-2011. Journal of Infectious Diseases.
  • Murray E.L, Khagayi S, Ope S, et al, (2012), “What are the most sensitive and specific sign and symptom combinations for influenza in patients hospitalized with acute respiratory illness? Results from western Kenya, January 2007–July 2010” Epidemiology and Infection, Cambridge University Press.
  • Khagayi S, Wak G, Hogson A, Debpuur C. (2011), Socioeconomic status and elderly