Impact Stories

Real-world evidence of how research translation is transforming health outcomes and strengthening communities across Kenya.

45+

Fellows trained

28+

Communities engaged

15K+

Lives reached

18+

Publications

18+

Partnerships

FEATURED IMPACT

From data to action: How fellowship alumni transformed maternal health in rural Kenya

When fellows identified a gap in maternal health data utilization, they designed a simple yet effective intervention: training community health volunteers to collect, analyze, and act on real-time pregnancy data. Within 6 months, the intervention reached 3,200+ pregnant women, increased facility deliveries by 34%, and reduced emergency referrals by 28%.

March 2026 Kiambu, Kenya 34% increase in facility deliveries
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From fellow to research leader

After completing UWRA's Research Translation Fellowship, Dr. Sarah Muthoni secured a position as a research coordinator at a national health institute, leading a team of 8 researchers on a maternal health study.

Hypertension screening reaches 2,500+ residents

In partnership with local health facilities, UWRA's community engagement team screened 2,500+ adults for hypertension, identifying 480 previously undiagnosed cases who were linked to care.

Research brief influences national policy

UWRA's policy brief on adolescent mental health was cited in the development of the National School Health Policy, integrating mental wellness into the school curriculum.

Mobile app connects rural elders to care

Fellows developed a simple mobile application that helps community health workers track elderly patients with chronic conditions, reducing missed appointments by 45%.

Fellowship cohort publishes collaborative research

Seven fellows from the program collaborated on a multi-site study examining barriers to maternal health access, resulting in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Mental health first aid reaches 1,200 youth

Community-based mental health training equipped 120 peer educators to provide psychosocial support, reaching over 1,200 young people across 15 schools.

Evidence on AMR informs county health strategy

UWRA's research on antimicrobial resistance patterns informed the county government's infection prevention strategy, leading to improved antibiotic stewardship.

Data dashboard transforms clinic decision-making

A data visualization tool developed by UWRA researchers helped a rural health facility track disease patterns and allocate resources more effectively, achieving 30% efficiency gain.

Training-of-trainers model reaches 500+ health workers

UWRA's cascaded training model equipped 50 master trainers who then trained over 500 community health workers across three counties.

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