From February 7 to 9, 2022, researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire (CSRS) conducted a training workshop on household data collection. A total of 15 people participated in the training (3 researchers and 12 investigators in training). The activities were coordinated by Vitor Pessoa Colombo (EPFL), Dr. Jeanne d'Arc Koffi (CSRS) and Abdoulaye Tall (CSRS), with support from principal investigators Dr. Jérôme Chenal (EPFL), Dr. Brama Koné (CSRS) and Dr. Jürg Utzinger (SwissTPH).

The training focused on the application of geo-referenced questionnaires with strictly digital tools - open-source software installed on tablets. The training workshop was conducted as part of the PhD project entitled "Urban Health in Nairobi and Abidjan: Spatial Predictors of Diarrheal Disease and Benefits of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Infrastructure". This doctoral thesis is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration and is part of the project "Global Health Africa: Circulating Knowledge and Innovations".

The above-mentioned thesis examines the spatial distribution of the burden of diarrheal diseases in two major African cities (Abidjan and Nairobi). Although urbanization can be associated with better overall health indicators (including a progressive reduction in the burden of infectious diseases), more detailed analyses suggest that the poorest do not benefit from this "urban advantage. In this regard, universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene ("WASH") facilities and health care remains a major challenge. At the same time, the very definition of "basic services" and their relationship to the spatial and socio-economic contexts in which they are embedded remains a controversial topic among urban planners and health professionals.

The objective of the research is to understand how the spatial distribution of diarrheal disease cases in Nairobi (Kenya) and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) is related to morphological indicators of the urban landscape (such as land use, density, and entropy levels of the built environment), in addition to existing WASH infrastructure and health facilities. The study focuses on diarrheal diseases, as they can be considered a proxy for the "quality" of spatial development, and also because diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of death in Africa.

Thus, the project situates urban planning within the global health agenda, reassessing the role of spatial planning in promoting health equity. The results should provide empirical knowledge that can contribute to progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 6 and 11, as well as to the development of urban planning strategies to prevent diarrheal diseases in low and middle income countries.

V.P.C.

PhD student / EPFL