When One Disease is Not the Whole Story: How MADIVA Is Transforming Multimorbidity Care in Nairobi

Abstract

This article details how the Multimorbidity in Africa: Digital Innovation, Visualization and Application (MADIVA) Research Hub is transforming healthcare for urban residents living with multiple chronic conditions in Nairobi's informal settlements. Sub-Saharan Africa faces a growing burden of multimorbidity where individuals simultaneously manage non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and mental health conditions alongside infectious diseases yet national health systems remain largely silod and structured for single-disease management. Addressing key challenges in health facility data systems, MADIVA leverages digital innovation and data science by linking fragmented clinical histories with longitudinal demographic surveillance data. This integrated approach strengthens health information systems, enables precise population risk stratification, and informs precision public health strategies to optimize multimorbidity care in resource-constrained urban environments.