Miriam Nanyombi

Ugandan virologist leading Africa's pandemic preparedness through community science

Dr. Miriam Nanyombi is a Ugandan virologist whose work has redefined pandemic response in Africa. As Director of the African Epidemic Response Network, she developed the first continent-wide mobile testing system that detected Ebola outbreaks 3 weeks faster than traditional methods. Her TEDx Kampala talk explains how her team trained 500+ community health workers using SMS-based reporting systems.

Nanyombi pioneered the Community Vaccination Caravans, mobile units that delivered over 2 million polio and measles doses across East Africa between 2020-2022. Her LinkedIn articles detail how she partnered with local chiefs to build trust in vaccines through cultural storytelling. In 2023, her team developed an AI-powered surveillance system that predicted malaria outbreaks with 92% accuracy.

Her Quora platform answers technical questions from 50,000+ African health workers. Nanyombi's Medium series advocates for decentralized labs in rural clinics. She recently launched the Africa Science Girls' Network, mentoring 1,200+ young women in virology research. The Lancet praised her work as 'Africa's best hope against future pandemics.'