Afya Research Africa

08/03/2026

This International women’s day ARA recognizes the women that support and uphold the realization of their vision.

08/03/2026

This , ARA celebrates the 550+ lives touched by our community-led health model. By investing in women’s health today, we gain a stronger, more resilient Africa tomorrow.

Happy International Women's Day 2026!

24/12/2025

As the year winds down, our commitment to healthy communities remains steady. Grateful to our team, partners, and communities.

Happy holidays from us here at ARA!


❤️

24/12/2025

As the year winds down, our commitment to healthy communities remains steady. We close this year grateful to our team, partners, and communities. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Afya Research Africa 🎄

23/12/2025

Our team evaluated STONE-HMIS®, an integrated community + hospital digital health information system that links care and data across community health units and facilities to strengthen maternal and newborn follow-up in Turkana County. In a nonrandomized before–and–after evaluation, use of STONE-HMIS® was associated with measurable gains: +5% in 4th ANC visits, +23% in skilled delivery, and +16% in postnatal checks within 48 hours, showing how locally co-designed digital tools can improve MNH service uptake in remote, underserved settings.

BackgroundPoor access to antenatal care (ANC), skilled delivery, and postnatal checks within 48 h of delivery are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. In Ke...

13/10/2025

As your child transitions into adolescence, they face new changes, emotions, and questions. Our 2-day Introductory Class on 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (SRH) for preteens, helps them understand these changes in a safe, supportive, and age-appropriate way.

Through two engaging modules of this SRH class “Understanding Myself” and “Life Skills for a Safer World” your child will:
✨ Understand themselves and their changing bodies
✨ Build confidence and make responsible choices
✨ Learn essential life skills for a safer, healthier future

This learning session is guided by great tutors and is aligned with Ministry of Health and Education standards.

📍 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗠𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗮
📅 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬–𝟯𝟭 | 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺 – 𝟰:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺
💰 𝗞𝘀𝗵 𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 | 📞 +𝟮𝟱𝟰𝟳𝟵𝟭𝟭𝟳𝟰𝟮𝟳𝟯
𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴.𝘨𝘭𝘦/𝘤𝘎𝘚𝘉176𝘓𝘟𝘞4𝘴𝘋𝘳𝘓27

Book a spot for your child today!

10/10/2025

Over the years, working to make communities healthier, we’ve learned that their surroundings 'the air they breathe, the water they use, and the environment they live in' play a huge role in shaping their health.

This year’s Mazingira Day theme, “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship,” reminds us that protecting our environment is everyone’s responsibility and that every small action counts.

Our solar-powered Ubuntu-Afya Kiosks in underserved areas are proof that healthcare and sustainability can thrive together. By harnessing clean energy, we’re keeping clinics open and creating green spaces where innovation and wellness grow side by side.

We’ve learned that sustainability isn’t an afterthought rather it’s the backbone of lasting healthcare. This Mazingira Day, we celebrate the unbreakable link between a healthy planet and a healthy people.

03/09/2025

Luxury looks different for everyone. For mothers in the informal settlements we work in, it often meant choosing between daily survival and the high cost of disposable diapers. It was from this reality that the idea to train caregivers on how to make reusable diapers was born.

We may not shout our accomplishments from rooftops, but in our hearts, we know we changed the lives of three or four mothers who had been quietly carrying the weight of these struggles. And sometimes, that is where true impact lies.
WomenLift Health Politics4Her Hivos Global Fund for Women

01/09/2025

Last week, Cdsk Disability hosted the closeout session for the Make Way Programme, bringing together partners from Afya Research Africa and St. Francis Oriang.

The session was both reflective and celebratory, marking five years of the Make Way Programme. For the past two years, Afya Research Africa (ARA) has been part of this journey, working with young people with disabilities in Kibera and Mukuru Kwa Reuben. Through safe spaces, we have opened up conversations on their rights, empowered them to speak confidently about their sexual and reproductive health and equipped them with practical skills such as making reusable sanitary towels and diapers.

In addition, the session highlighted findings from our research titled “Assessing Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality (AAAQ) of SRH Services for Persons with Disabilities in Primary Health Care Facilities in Kenya.”

This evidence has been key in shaping advocacy efforts and sparking conversations that matter for more intersectional health systems.

The gathering spotlighted success stories and drew important lessons for the future, particularly the need for strong partnerships, government collaboration and an intersectional approach to addressing overlapping vulnerabilities.

While the programme may have closed, the impact is undeniable. The voices raised, the evidence generated and the partnerships strengthened will continue to drive the vision of a future where SRHR is truly intersectional and accessible for all. VSO WomenLift Health Liliane Fonds Hivos

11/07/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵? In a Make Way session in Kibera, Nairobi, young girls with disabilities alongside their caregivers challenged the silence and stigma surrounding their sexuality.

They spoke openly about how society often views them as asexual or worse, unworthy of love, relationships or agency. Yet their voices were powerful, clear, and bold: "𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀."

S*x education is for everyone. And when we create safe, inclusive spaces, we begin to break down the harmful stereotypes that hold too many girls back.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗥𝗛𝗥 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? Cdsk Disability

01/07/2025

In collaboration with Cheshire Disability Services Kenya and St. Francis Oriang Development Programme, we joined regional Make Way implementing partners at the 8th Pan-African AYSRHR Scientific Conference 2025, hosted by Reproductive Health Network Kenya and The Ministry of Health.

At the conference, our team delivered an insightful presentation on: “𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗤) 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗥𝗛 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮.”

Our participation emphasized the importance of integrating an intersectional lens in advancing SRHR, especially for youth with disabilities. Together with our partners, we contributed to youth-led sessions that explored the Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) tool in addressing SRHR challenges.

Innovative approaches to bridging the gap between disability and SRHR. Strengthening health systems to respond to evolving global and local threats through inclusive programming.

These discussions called for:

✔️ Institutionalizing intersectionality in health and legal frameworks

✔️ Strengthening inclusive policy and financing mechanisms

✔️ Increasing youth representation; especially those with intellectual disabilities in decision-making

✔️ Fostering cross-movement solidarity to ensure no one is left behind

Regional Make Way partners from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia showcased groundbreaking initiatives supporting inclusive, high-quality health services, safe spaces for advocacy, and meaningful youth participation in SRHR.

A key message that emerged throughout the conference was the urgent need to embed SRHR, especially family planning into Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

This concern was powerfully captured by Dr. Mohamed Sheikh, Director General of the National Council for Population and Development, who reminded participants.

“Universal health coverage (UHC) must include access to family planning, because SRHR is not optional but essential.”

His words echoed the collective call to action to ensure SRHR is not treated as an add-on, but as a core element of UHC, backed by inclusive policies, financing, and accountability mechanisms that leave no one behind.

We are proud to be part of a movement that champions inclusive SRHR and centers the voices of youth with disabilities at the heart of health policy dialogue.

26/06/2025

We’re thrilled to be part of the 8th Pan-African AYSRHR Scientific Conference, hosted by The Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) in partnership with The Ministry of Health

Join us tomorrow at 10AM as we present our abstract: “Assessing Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality (AAAQ) of SRH Services for Persons with Disabilities in Primary Health Care Facilities in Kenya.”