USC Africa Hub

Building on initial groundwork carried out in 2019 toward creating a hub in East Africa, the USC IIGH Program on Global Health and Human Rights is involved in a range of innovative projects with our Kenya-based partners. We have established partnerships and projects with Amref Health Africa, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN).

For example, the work of USC IIGH with Amref encompasses both research and education. This has led to a range of projects addressing issues such as laws, policies and interventions around health topics as diverse as COVID-19, self-care initiatives for sexual and reproductive health, and the role of community health workers. With funding from a USC Zumberge grant, we are currently working together to research how community health workers and self-care interventions might alleviate COVID-induced stress on the Kenyan health system while improving access to services for communities. With additional support from the Netherlands-based INCLUDE platform, we also carried out research examining laws, regulations and policies enacted in response to COVID-19 in Kenya and Uganda. Findings are being widely disseminated in both countries to inform policy, advocacy and further research.