In the aquamarine waters off Kenya’s eastern coast, fishing nets often accidentally ensnare endangered sea turtles. A local conservation group has spent years recording these encounters in a sprawling archive of data. Yet much of it remains unused. The authors propose a creative solution: hackathons, a competitive activity that has gained popularity across STEM fields because it challenges participants to quickly develop solutions to real-world problems.

The authors explore the underutilization of data science (DS) to improve health outcomes in Africa and advocate for increased, strategic investment in DS infrastructure, talent development, and research funding. 

Africa is set for remarkable progress and transformation. Central to this development is the need to enhance higher education and research capacities across the continent and the European academic community has a unique opportunity.