Kenya Medical Research Institute

Africa’s first standard measure for child and adolescent health: The Nigerian EQ-5D-Y-3L value set using composite time trade-off and discrete choice experiments

Nigeria has a rapidly growing child and adolescent population, yet no locally derived EQ-5D-Y-3 L utility weights (value set) exists for estimating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in paediatric economic evaluations. This study developed the first Nigerian EQ-5D-Y-3 L value se...

Sub-national estimates of visceral leishmaniasis and optimisation of geographical accessibility to treatment centres in Kenya

Abstract Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains a major public health challenge in Kenya, disproportionately affecting populations with limited access to timely diagnosis and treatment. National case totals mask local heterogeneity in risk and access. Here we estimate sub...

Outdoor attractive targeted sugar bait Phase III trials for malaria control in Kenya, Mali, and Zambia: An individual participant data meta-analysis

Attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSB) are a potential new class of vector control tool that act through an “attract and kill” mechanism on mosquitoes. We conducted a meta-analysis using data from three large-scale Phase III trials of the Westham Sarabi v1.2 ATSB (0.11% dinotefur...

A User-Centered Approach to Customizing, Validating, and Evaluating a Large Language Model for Empowering Healthcare Providers with Up-to-Date Information on Adolescent and Child Health

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Kenya face critical challenges in accessing reliable, context-specific information on adolescent and child health, which hampers clinical decision-making and compromises patient outcomes. Large Language Models (LLMs) offer a promising solution b...

Machine learning models to predict low birth weight in the Kenyan Coast

Low birth weight (LBW, < 2500 g) is associated with poor outcomes across multiple domains of child development. Predicting high-risk pregnancies for LBW will therefore enable timely intervention. We aimed to develop and internally validate machine learning models to predict LBW i...

Maternal healthcare quality, continuity, and experiences among pregnant adolescents and adult women in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa: A cohort study

The capacity of health systems to provide quality care for pregnant adolescents remains underexplored. This study examined the quality, continuity, and experiences of maternal healthcare among pregnant adolescents (<20 years) compared with adult women (20 + years) in Ethiopia, Ke...

Spatial surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum Kelch 13 mutations reveals High-Frequency A675V and the First Molecular Evidence of Suspected Partial Artemisinin Resistance in Baringo in Kenya

Abstract Background This surveillance study evaluated the polymorphisms of Pfk13 gene in samples from symptomatic individuals from eight geographically distinct locations in Kenya to determine the prevalence of mutations associated with partial artemisinin resistance. Methods Bet...

Emergence of pan-drug resistant Candidozyma auris in Kenya, the second globally documented case

Candidozyma auris is a World Health Organization high-priority fungal pathogen due to nosocomial transmission, environmental persistence, and multidrug resistance. Pan-drug-resistant (PDR) isolates, resistant to four antifungal classes, are exceedingly rare, previously reported f...

Multi country training to strengthen leadership among administrative staff of research ethics committees and national regulatory bodies in the East African Community

Clinical research in the East African Community (EAC) has expanded significantly in response to epidemics, increasing the complexity and workload. Research ethics committee (REC) and National research regulatory (NRA) members involved in leadership and administrative work play a...

Disclosure of HIV Positive Status and Network Characteristics Among a Cohort of People Living with HIV in Western Kenya

Disclosure of HIV serostatus is critical in managing the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), yet the decision to disclose is shaped by complex interpersonal and contextual factors. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of HIV status disclosur...

How can complex interventions be adapted to context? A qualitative analysis of the implementation of DREAMS in three Kenyan settings

In Kenya, the DREAMS Partnership (“Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe”) aims to reduce new HIV cases among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW; aged 10–24) through a comprehensive programme of interventions. The impact of DREAMS varies across settin...

Prevalence and determinants of death registration across three demographic surveillance sites in Kenya

Abstract Background Death registration remains markedly incomplete in many low- and middle-income settings despite its importance in generating population statistics for health systems planning and monitoring of sustainable development goals. We assessed the completeness of death...

Leveraging community health workers for the promotion of Breast Cancer Awareness and Timely Help-Seeking Behaviour (BreCATH-B study), among underserved rural population in Kenya: a protocol for a hybrid type II cluster randomised controlled trial

Female breast cancer (FBC) is the world’s most diagnosed cancer and the leading or second leading cause of female cancer-related deaths in 95% of the countries. In Kenya, it is the most diagnosed cancer with 7, 243 (16.2%) new cases reported in 2023. Advanced-stage FBC diagnosis...

Co-design of a digital health intervention to provide pharmacy-based, person-centered contraceptive decision support for youth in Kenya

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW; age 15–24 years) face intersectional barriers to undesired pregnancy prevention, with profound health consequences. Community pharmacies remain a relatively untapped opportunity to improve the reach and quality of contraceptive care for you...

Divergent biological consequences of APOE isoforms across industrialized and non-industrial environments

Abstract The apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) isoform directly alters cholesterol and immune biology and is associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic disease in industrialized settings; nevertheless, APOE ε4—which is ancestral in humans—has persisted o...

Pharmacist-supported audit and feedback intervention to reduce Gentamicin prescribing errors in neonatal inpatient care in Kenya: a natural experiment using interrupted time series analysis

Abstract Background Approximately 14.9% of medications prescribed during hospital care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contain errors, with neonates who experience high morbidity and mortality in these settings being particularly vulnerable. Gentamicin, a common first...

Participant perspectives on a person-centred care model for mobile individuals in HIV care from the SEARCH Dynamic Choice Treatment trial in rural Kenya and Uganda

Introduction Mobile populations experience difficulties maintaining antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and HIV care engagement. We sought to explore participant perceptions of a patient-centred model aimed at enhancing care engagement through ‘dynamic choice’ treatment servic...

In vitro α-glucosidase and 15-lipoxygenase inhibitory, anticancer, and volatile metabolite properties of Aspilia africana and Warburgia ugandensis tissues

Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams (Family Asteraceae) and Warburgia ugandensis Sprague (Family Canellacea) are widely used in African traditional medicine to treat diabetes mellitus (DM), inflammatory diseases, and prostate and breast cancers. However, their inhibitory effects...

Utility of Face2Gene’s DeepGestalt and D-Score applications in paediatric neurodevelopmental disorders in South Africa

Abstract Face2Gene is a clinical tool that leverages facial features to aid genetic diagnosis. The DeepGestalt application suggests potential diagnoses based on facial similarity, while the D-Score evaluates likelihood of an individual having dysmorphic features suggestive of a p...

Seroprevalence and Factors Associated with Canine Leishmaniasis in Baringo County, Kenya: Implications for an Integrated One Health Surveillance

Leishmaniasis is an emerging zoonotic disease recognized by WHO as a priority neglected tropical disease (NTD) targeted for elimination by 2030. The disease is transmitted through bites of infected female phlebotomine sand flies and presents in three main forms: cutaneous, mucocu...