SSACAB II was proud to participate in the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences

SSACAB II was proud to participate in the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences’s Mental Health and Neuroscience Fair. This was a dynamic space connecting students, researchers, and practitioners dedicated to advancing mental well-being. Our PhD Fellow, Godwin Kalu, presented on how biostatistics can illuminate mental-health challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa. By analysing structured and unstructured health data, biostatistical models reveal patterns, risk factors, and intervention outcomes. This helps design evidence-based, community-driven mental-health solutions. Godwin’s own PhD work explores how AI text-generation tools can deliver personalised mental health and alcohol education messages to South African university students.

This is timely, given that many students remain unsure where to seek help, and 7 in 10 underestimate how much they drink or are unaware of safe drinking limits. Through initiatives like this, SSACAB II continues to champion data-driven research that turns evidence into better public-health outcomes across Africa. Why This Matters: Biostatistics and Mental-Health Care Mental-health systems across Africa face a dual challenge—limited resources and incomplete data. Biostatistics bridges this gap by transforming fragmented information into actionable insight.

Statistical modelling allows researchers to quantify the burden of mental-health and substance-use disorders, understand the social and environmental factors that exacerbate them, and evaluate whether interventions truly work. By embedding biostatistics into mental-health research, SSACAB II is helping to move beyond awareness towards precision prevention—identifying who needs help, when, and how best to deliver it. This evidence base is essential for building responsive, equitable mental-health systems that serve Africa’s diverse populations.