Shem Otoi Odhiambo Sam - Biography

Biography

Prof. Shem Otoi Odhiambo Sam is an Associate Professor of Statistics and Research Methods at Daystar University, Kenya. He is also an author. Prof. Otoi is a research statistician with PhD and Masters in Statistics from the University of Nairobi. He is a renowned infectious disease modelling expert whose solutions have improved disease governance locally and internationally. He is a former professor of Statistics at Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK). Prof. Sam is also former lecturer at USIU-Africa. He was appointed the Kenya Country Representative for US-Based CORVUS HEALTH Organization supporting health pedagogy in Low- and Medium-Income Countries (LMICs). Shem is the Director of Grace Onyango Foundation for Digital Health in Africa (GOFDHA). He is also the Lake Region Economic Bock COVID-19 Advisory Committee Programs Coordinator. Prof. Otoi is in the review panel of: East African Medical Journal (EAMJ); invited author and reviewer panelist of London Journal Press; Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research; and editorial board of African Journal of Monitoring and Evaluation (AFRIJME). He is committed to finding solutions to human challenges. Previously, he created and published three highly cited statistical models for solving youth unemployment in low and medium income countries. He conducted early research on the spread of COVID-19 and published seven internationally refereed papers. Outstanding among his works is the innovation of COVID-19 predictive model: OTOI-NARIMA model which helped Kenya to predict all surges months before they occurred. Because of his work on COVID-19 research he was awarded honorary professorship by Sri Sri University in India. The model was adopted in Kenya and \ Lake Region Economic Bloc and accurately predicted seven COVID-19 surges months before they occurred. He instantly became a member in the Kenya National COVID-19 Modelling Committee. He is constant invitee speaker at International Workshop on COVID19 Vaccines, Conference on Public health in Africa (CPHIA), World Congress on Pharmaceutical Research and Toxicology, International Conference on Infectious Diseases, among others. The Ministry of Health, the National Oxygen Committee, the National Emergency Response Committee, and the Council of Governors -Kenya used OTOI-NARIMA Model predictions to mobilize citizens to be vaccinated and enhance public health protocols.He has made presentation to the African Union, Africa CDC, African Society of Laboratory Medicine, International COVID-19 Workshop on COVID-19 Vaccines, the inaugural conference on public health in Africa, CPHIA 2021 and CPHIA 2022, World Congress on Pharmaceutical Research and Toxicology, among others.