A. Odulaja
SUSAN Co-ordinator, Biostatistics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: aodulaja@icipe.org
The Sub-Saharan African Network (SUSAN) is a network of groups of the International Biometric Society (IBS) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). I am the current co-ordinator. Both the network and its parent body are devoted to the advancement of mathematical and statistical aspects of biology.
Concerned by the relatively small number of applied biometricians in developing countries and the lack of critical mass and limited access to the literature IBS initiated a scheme to help to address these problems. The scheme involved regional groups of IBS in developed countries subsidising subscriptions of those in developing countries and sponsoring their attendance to scientific meetings, workshops, symposia, special lectures, etc. As a result, several Africans have obtained training or attachment fellowships in overseas institutions to enhance their biometric skills.
The scheme led to the formation of IBS national groups in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa and Botswana. Bye-law 5 of the IBS constitution states that `a geographically defined area that has 50 or more society members may become a region of the society on approval by Council', and that an `area with 10 to 50 society members may become a national group on approval by Council'. Furthermore, the bye-law states that `in areas of the world, with limited group activity, national groups may come together as networks to sponsor conferences.' It was on the basis of this that the groups in East, central and southern Africa came together in 1990 to constitute the East, Central and Southern African Network (ECSAN) of IBS.
Following the formation of Group Nigeria, and its request to join, the network was extended and renamed Sub-Saharan African Network (SUSAN) of IBS in 1997 during the biennial meeting of the network in Mombasa, Kenya. Its bye-laws were approved in August 1999 during the most recent meeting of the network in Ibadan, Nigeria.
In addition to the countries of Kenya (GKe), Uganda (GUg) and Zimbabwe (GZim) in the region represented at this workshop, other existing IBS groups in SSA are Group Botswana (GBot), Group Ethiopia (GEt), Group Nigeria (GNi) and Group South Africa (GSaf). Other countries which are unable to form groups but which nevertheless have IBS member contacts are Malawi, Swaziland, Madagascar, Tanzania, Bénin, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana and Zambia.
The network has successfully organised six scientific meetings in the past 10 years. The first scientific meeting (first meeting as ECSAN) was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1990. The second was held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1991, the third in Kampala, Uganda in 1993, the fourth in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 1995, and the fifth in Mombasa, Kenya in 1997. The sixth scientific meeting, which was the first as SUSAN, was held in Ibadan, Nigeria in August 1999. The francophone SSA countries were well represented at this last meeting. Efforts are now being underway to initiate IBS groups in some of these countries.
There are four major factors that may be considered to determine the effectiveness of a biometrician: the person, the training he/she has received, the environment within which he/she works and the facilities available to develop his/her skills. There are many Africans with the ability and qualifications to be professional biometricians. Most, if not all, have received good training from local and/or foreign institutions. Moreover, the research environments are abundant through the challenges posed by particular biological experimentation problems in SSA. However, many of these people are isolated and lack sufficient facilities in terms of literature, computer hardware/software/Internet connectivity and opportunities to update their knowledge and associate with other biometricians worldwide. By virtue of its composition SUSAN can play a major role in enhancing biometry capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. Some of these roles are already being undertaken in various parts of Africa such as the organising of workshops and seminars, sharing responsibilities for biometrics support, keeping a database of biometricians in the area covered by the network and carrying out surveys of needs. Thus, SUSAN provides the opportunity to increase the respect for biometricians within SSA, encourages them to work together and seeks ways in which they can be provided with better access to literature and hardware and software.
