The International Center for Equity in Health (ICEH) participated in the first training for the 2024 cohort of the Countdown 2030 fellowship program in Dakar, Senegal. The fellowship has been launched by the Countdown 2030 for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health initiative to strengthen research and analytical capacities for monitoring and tracking the progress of life-saving interventions for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) in collaborating countries in Africa. The training aims to provide fellows with analytical skills that allow them to undertake their research project, including refining their research questions, data analysis, and write-up of manuscripts on findings from their studies.

During the Equity Analyses sessions, led by the ICEH researcher Janaína Calu Costa, the fellows had the opportunity to learn and discuss the main concepts in the field and the best approaches to conducting analyses of health inequalities using different data sources and analytical approaches.

Beyond the hands-on sessions, this was a remarkable opportunity to foster a sense of community and build relationships between fellows, mentors, and session leaders. This collaborative environment strengthens the network for future collaborations across regional, national, and disciplinary boundaries.