The Indiana University Center for Global Health announced the inaugural awardees of the AMPATH Kenya Grant Program. IU launched this first-of-its-kind funding opportunity to stimulate innovation, deepen collaboration between IU and AMPATH partners at Moi University and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and seed sustainable programs that improve health and well-being in western Kenya.
From a competitive pool of applications reviewed by a selection committee representing IU, Moi University and MTRH, three projects were chosen for their clear significance, feasible approaches and plans for sustainability.
“The AMPATH Kenya Grant Program is intentionally focused on small, high-impact programs or projects that strengthen local capacity and generate the implementation evidence needed to scale effective models. These awards reflect partnership, local leadership, and a commitment to sustainable programs that will improve health outcomes across western Kenya,” said Adrian Gardner, MD, MPH, director of the IU Center for Global Health and executive director of the AMPATH Consortium.
Leslie A. Enane, MD, MSc, associate professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine, and her colleagues Dr. Lameck Diero, professor of medicine at Moi University and MTRH; Dr. Edith Apondi, consultant pediatrician and founder of the MTRH Rafiki Center of Excellence in Adolescent Health; and Dr. Robina Momanyi, consultant psychiatrist at MTRH, were selected for a $50,000 award for “TB Rika: A Peer Support Intervention for Youth with Tuberculosis (TB).” TB Rika is a youth-friendly, peer-support model for TB care co-designed with youth, peer mentors and healthcare workers through human-centered design workshops. The pilot will train and supervise youth peer mentors to provide peer support for young people (ages 15–24) during and after TB treatment through both in-person and mobile health-delivered activities.
“Youth with TB face unique challenges including developmental and social factors that put them at risk for poor treatment outcomes and long-term lung injury,” said Dr. Enane. “TB Rika builds on AMPATH’s peer mentor experience and youth advisory input to co-design a model that we expect to be highly acceptable and feasible. This pilot will give us the implementation and preliminary outcome data we need to advance a youth-led, locally owned and sustainable model for person-centered care.”
Two additional awards of $20,000 each will support projects that strengthen surgical and educational capacity across the AMPATH network.
Brian Gray, MD, associate professor of pediatric surgery at IU School of Medicine, and Dr. Peter Saula, pediatric surgeon at MTRH, will lead “REACH ON Plus: Referral and Education to Advance Care and Health Outcomes for Neonatal Surgical Emergencies.” Building on a prior MTRH study showing dramatic mortality reductions with timely referral and structured pre-transfer stabilization, REACH ON Plus will scale targeted training and referral strengthening to 15 high-volume community hospitals that refer to MTRH. The project will deliver short, resident-led education sessions on recognition, stabilization and safe transport of neonates with surgical conditions, track referred patients and reinforce learning with educational modules to promote retention. Jason Axt, MD, MPH, assistant professor of clinical surgery and pediatric in-country lead at AMPATH Kenya, and Alexa Engel, MD, global surgery research resident at IU are also involved with the project.
“Delays in diagnosis and unsafe transport are major drivers of neonatal surgical mortality in western Kenya,” explained Dr. Gray. “REACH ON Plus aims to expand proven, practical training and standardized stabilization practices to district hospitals, improve the timeliness and condition of transferred neonates, and create a sustainable learning and tracking system. This will ultimately save newborn lives and provide evidence that can be scaled nationally.”
The third award supports “FACET — Faculty Advancement in Clinical Education and Teaching,” led by Dr. Axt. In partnership with Moi University leadership, FACET will adapt the Stanford Mastering Medical Teaching (MMT), identify clinical education champions across Moi University and MTRH departments, and build a community of practice to strengthen bedside and theatre teaching, assessment, feedback and educational leadership. The program includes asynchronous MMT coursework, professional-development retreats, peer observation, and modest stipends for champions, with an eye toward institutional integration and train-the-trainer sustainability. Julia Songok, dean of Moi University School of Medicine, and Dr. Pius Musau are Kenyan collaborators.
“High-quality clinical teaching underpins the future health workforce,” said Dr. Axt. “FACET will prepare a cohort of local education champions; tailor internationally validated clinical teaching content to a Kenyan context; and build a sustainable community of practice so these skills spread across departments, influence promotion criteria and support continuous improvement in medical education.”
All awardees will work alongside AMPATH partners including Moi University, MTRH clinical leaders, and local peer mentors and trainees. The committee supported projects that demonstrated clear local ownership, impact and potential for scale.
