M&E Specialist · Researcher · Epidemiologist

Better Evidence
for Bettering Lives

I'm Emmanuel Nene Odjidja — an M&E specialist championing rigorous, innovative methods to evaluate programmes and inform evidence-based development across global health, peacebuilding, and humanitarian contexts.

12+
Years Experience
25+
Publications
6
Countries
Emmanuel Nene Odjidja
About

Originally from Ghana, I have spent over a decade working at the frontlines of global health and international development — from pastoralist communities in South Sudan to health facilities in rural Burundi and research institutions in the United Kingdom.

I hold a Master's degree in Global Health (Distinction) from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, with a focus on epidemiology. My professional conviction is simple: if a programme works, it should be proven using sound, methodologically rigorous evidence — not anecdotes.

Currently serving as an M&E Specialist for Research, Design and Learning at GCERF (the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund) in Geneva, I design and manage evaluations of programmes aimed at preventing violent extremism across the Sahel, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, and beyond.

My research spans maternal and child health, infectious disease control, nutrition, health financing, and the nexus between climate change, food insecurity, and violent extremism. I am bilingual with full professional proficiency in English and French.

Outside of work, I am a committed runner and semi-marathonist — still chasing the dream of completing a full marathon.

Career

Professional Experience

Over 12 years working across six countries, from grassroots health programmes to global evaluation systems.

2021 – Present
M&E Specialist: Research, Design & Learning
GCERF — Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, Geneva
Design and manage evaluations of PVE programmes across the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger), Tunisia, and Sri Lanka. Lead evaluation design, quality assurance, and evidence synthesis. Co-authored research on the climate–conflict–food insecurity nexus.
2018 – 2021
Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Technical Lead
Village Health Works, Burundi
Led impact evaluations, set up M&E systems, and published peer-reviewed research on malnutrition, neonatal survival, hypertension, and TB. Founded the Kigutu M&E Institute, training 32 clinicians and staff on epidemiology, evaluation, and health systems.
2016 – 2018
M&E Advisor / Research Lead
AVSI Foundation, South Sudan
Conducted SMART nutrition surveys, designed quasi-experimental evaluations, and researched infectious disease control among pastoralist populations in humanitarian settings.
2015 – 2016
MSc Global Health (Distinction)
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
Focused on epidemiology, health policy analysis, and global health systems. Research on malaria policy transfer across four sub-Saharan countries.
2013 – 2015
Programme & Research Officer
Ghana
Early career in programme design, monitoring, and classroom-level learning assessments in education and health.
Research

Selected Publications

Peer-reviewed research in international journals spanning epidemiology, health systems, nutrition, and programme evaluation.

2025
Tuberculosis mortality and drug resistance among patients under TB treatment before and during COVID-19 in Burundi
BMC Infectious Diseases · Iradukunda, Getnet & Odjidja
2024
Small Fish Big Impact: Improving Nutrition during Pregnancy and Lactation, and Empowerment for Marginalized Women
Nutrients (MDPI) · Saha, Ng, Odjidja et al.
2024
Survival of newborns and determinants of their mortality in Burundi: A prospective cohort study
Research Square (Preprint) · Ndayishimiye et al. incl. Odjidja
2022
The effect of health financing reforms on incidence and management of childhood infections in Ghana: A matching DiD impact evaluation
BMC Public Health · Odjidja et al.
2021
Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited articles on HIV/AIDS
Annals of Infection · Gatasi, Musa & Odjidja
2020
Coronavirus disease 2019 and viral hepatitis coinfection: Provide guidelines for integrated screening and treatment
Journal of Medical Virology · Odjidja, Laurita Longo, Rizzatti & Bandoh
2020
2030 Countdown to combating malnutrition in Burundi: Comparison of proactive approaches for case detection
International Health (Oxford) · Odjidja et al.
2019
Delivery of integrated infectious disease control services under the new ANC guidelines: A service readiness assessment in Tanzania
BMC Health Services Research · Odjidja, Gatasi & Duric
2018
Control of infectious disease during pregnancy among pastoralists in South Sudan: A case for investment into mobile clinics
Pastoralism (Springer) · Odjidja
2017
Making every baby count: Reflection on the Helping Babies Breathe Program to reduce birth asphyxia in sub-Saharan Africa
South African Journal of Child Health · Odjidja (Editorial)
Open Source

PRAXIS

An open-source AI skill that turns Claude into an evaluation methodologist. 20+ evaluation approaches, validated scales, and FCV-adapted methods.

📐

Evaluation Designs

Experimental, quasi-experimental, theory-based, participatory, and complexity-responsive approaches

📋

Data Collection Instruments

Surveys, FGD/KII guides, observation checklists with 16+ validated scales (FCS, PHQ-9, WHODAS, WEAI...)

⚙️

Realist & Case-Based Methods

CMO configurations, process tracing, QCA, contribution analysis — designed for real-world complexity

🔥

FCV-Adapted

Methods specifically adapted for fragile, conflict-affected, and violent settings

Writing & Commentary

Beyond the Journals

Thought pieces, commentary, and applied reflections on evaluation, health systems, and the evidence–policy gap.

Connect

Let's Talk

Interested in discussing aid effectiveness, evaluation design, epidemiology, or just want to chat about running? I'd love to hear from you.

Email

in

LinkedIn

emmanuel-odjidja

RG

ResearchGate

Emmanuel Odjidja

GS

Google Scholar

Publication Profile

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GitHub

emmaodjidja-sys

Affiliations

GCERF
Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, Geneva
RSTMH
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Queen Margaret University
Institute of Global Health and Development, Edinburgh