Council-generated data on COVID-19 in Kenya has been used to inform public messaging; to support policy action and the creation of national guidance by drawing attention to evolving needs; and to reinforce collaboration and information sharing with partners on the ground. Throughout this process, Council staff have participated in and provided regular updates to the MOH’s National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) through the Community Engagement Subcommittee, as well as the Executive Office of the President’s Policy and Strategy Unit.
Spotlight
Gendered Economic, Social and Health Effects of COVID-19 and Mitigation Policies in Kenya
In BMC Open, Population Council researchers assessed the economic, social and health-related harm experienced by women living in five informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly and disproportionately impacted the lives of women, and that as Kenya reopens, policymakers must deploy assistance to ensure women in urban informal settlements are able to return to work, and get healthcare and services they need to not lose progress on gender equity made to date.
New Report Details Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents in Kenya
Research conducted by the Population Council in Kenya and published in a new report by Kenya’s Presidential Policy and Strategy Unit (PASU) shows the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of adolescent girls and boys in Kenya. The report, “Promises to Keep: Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents in Kenya,” points to the critical need for bold action to address school dropout, adolescent pregnancies, lost learning momentum, violence and other negative consequences of the pandemic on the lives of adolescents in Kenya.
Highlights
Watch a webinar sharing research findings and insights on the impact of COVID-19 on urban informal settlements of Kenya, featuring panelists from Kenya’s Executive Office of the President’s Policy and Strategy Unit, the Kenyan Ministry of Health, and Amref Health Africa. October 2020
Read the latest brief from our Kenya team, sharing findings on the social, health, education and economic effects of COVID-19 from surveys of adolescent girls from Kilifi, Nairobi, Wajir and Kisumu counties.
Read a piece in The Conversation from Council researchers Karen Austrian and Timothy Abuya, underscoring key findings and consequent recommendations from rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, practices and needs among 2,000 households in five Nairobi urban slums.
Read an article in Journal of Urban Health assessing the mobility patterns of residents in Nairobi’s urban informal settlements to better understand those most at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 as well as necessary measures to mitigate spread while also allowing residents to maintain employment.