Zaibu Juma: Eradicating Malaria Through Data Science

Zaibu Juma is on a mission. A mission to eradicate malaria as stipulated in the 3rd UN Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Wellbeing. He is in the process of creating a deep-learning model that can be used to classify mosquito larvae as either microsporidium positive or negative. This is because microsporidia is a parasite known to hinder the development of plasmodium which causes malaria. The model can be accessed via a smartphone which records video data and then provides a classification report on the phone. 

‘One of the reasons that inspired me to do this project is because malaria is a real problem in Kenya. It was one of the diseases that have been earmarked by Kenya’s Mission 2030 and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and working on research that can help in those goals is something that I found to be very important.’ Juma’s app is currently in its 3rd phase of testing and should be ready for deployment soon with the backing of the ICPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology) Research Scholarship. 

Interestingly, he was the only beneficiary of the research scholarship in his cohort. The research scholarship was introduced to him by Dr. Senagi during a physical class and it required someone who had a background in computer science and who had developed a mobile application before and these were all things he had experience in.

The soon-to-be graduate of Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences is currently working as a Research Officer at ICIPE utilizing his expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to analyze biological data to advance his malaria research and other related projects.

Data science was not on his original career path. “Before I joined the program, I worked as an IT personnel then shifted to a system administrator. One of the reasons I decided to pick the program is because I have been following data science and I wanted to join it as a field. I also wanted to have a career change and move away from system administration.”

The journey

“I can say it has been tough. From the word go it was very intensive, but it was something that I expected because during my interview with Dr. John Olukuru, Head of Data Science and Analytics, it was one of the things I picked up.’ He described his academic journey as tough but manageable especially with the guidance of his lecturers. Juma’s academic experience was earmarked with tight deadlines, enriching projects, and friendships that go beyond the classroom walls.

Striking a balance between academics, career, and personal life proved to be a major challenge for the aspiring data analyst. He remedied this by setting a strict routine to maximize his productivity. ‘I started just having a routine where before you go to sleep for an hour or two you ensure you don’t have any pending classwork on weekends unless it’s a big project.’ He was thankful to his family for their support and understanding, especially in the period when his research was intense.‘ I missed out on family events and  failed to travel most of the time but they understood because it was an intense time, but it was not for long so they understood.’ 

As his Strathmore chapter comes to a close, Juma’s focus now turns toward the future. He praises the Master’s Programme for advancing his skills in machine learning and visualization and his lecturer Dr. Njunga for helping him understand that part of data science is being able to communicate a report or your results. His main focus is to increase and improve his portfolio projects as well as his skill set. His pursuits for a flourishing career in data science remain undeterred.

Juma’s story serves as a testament that as long as passion and ambition exist, your dreams are just one pivot away.

Article written by: Linda Ajuna