Marc Christian Tahita

Introduction

Dr. Marc Christian Tahita is a senior clinical research scientist and public health specialist based in Burkina Faso, with extensive experience in infectious disease epidemiology, environmental surveillance, and clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the ODIN project, he contributes to strengthening integrated environmental and clinical surveillance systems to enhance pandemic preparedness and public health response.

Full Name

Dr. Marc Christian Tahita, PharmD, PhD

Institutional Affiliation and Professional Experience

Dr. Tahita is a senior scientist at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Burkina Faso. He has extensive experience leading international research collaborations focused on infectious diseases, environmental surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and health system strengthening. His work includes coordinating multi-country studies, clinical trials, laboratory capacity building, and translating research findings into policy and public health practice across Africa.

Educational Background

Dr. Tahita holds advanced training in pharmaceutical sciences and infectious disease research, with specialization in clinical epidemiology, diagnostics, and public health surveillance. His academic background supports leadership in clinical trials, laboratory research, and One Health surveillance initiatives.

Role in the ODIN Project

In the ODIN project, Dr. Tahita plays a leadership role in advancing environmental genomic surveillance and strengthening integrated public health early warning systems. His work focuses particularly on linking wastewater surveillance, infectious disease monitoring, and climate-sensitive health risks in sub-Saharan Africa.

Work Package and Responsibilities

Dr. Tahita contributes to work packages related to environmental and wastewater surveillance implementation, laboratory and genomic capacity strengthening, integration of environmental and clinical epidemiological data, and stakeholder engagement and policy translation. He also supports coordination across African partner institutions and facilitates implementation in Burkina Faso and the wider region.

Contribution of this Work Package to ODIN’s Overall Goals

This work package supports ODIN’s objective of strengthening global pandemic preparedness by improving early detection of pathogens through environmental surveillance. By integrating genomic data, epidemiological insights, and public health decision-making, it enhances outbreak preparedness, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and climate-resilient health systems in Africa.

Professional and Personal Interests

Dr. Tahita’s research interests include environmental and wastewater surveillance for infectious diseases, malaria epidemiology and diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, climate-sensitive disease surveillance, One Health approaches to global health security, and capacity strengthening of African research institutions. He is also committed to mentoring early-career African scientists and fostering international research collaboration.

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

Outside professional activities, Dr. Tahita enjoys mentoring young researchers, engaging in community health initiatives, and participating in discussions on innovation, leadership, and sustainable development in Africa.

Future Research Aspirations

Dr. Tahita aims to further develop integrated environmental surveillance platforms combining genomic epidemiology, climate data, and digital health technologies to strengthen early warning systems for infectious diseases in Africa. He is particularly interested in translating research into policy impact and scalable public health interventions.

Contact Details

Email: marctahita@yahoo.fr
Institution: Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Burkina Faso