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Timothy Abuya
kilifi [dot] kemri-wellcome [dot] org Research
Abuya's current research activities revolve around implementation research and evaluation of public health interventions using policy analysis techniques. Particular interest is around the role of private sector as a complementary option to improve access to prompt and effective treatment of disease of public health importance such as malaria. In the past four years he has been involved in operational research activities to support district level implementation of context specific strategies to optimize Home Management of Malaria in Kenya. The main goal is to assess the performance of malaria control programmes targeting private medicine retailers by addressing coverage, utilization, impact of programme on retailer knowledge, practices and implementation processes. These studies have been conducted in Kisii Central, Kwale, Makueni, Busia and Bungoma districts of Kenya.
Abuya is also currently involved in a range of other studies that broadly focus on improving access and addressing health systems challenges in the delivery of health care. They include understanding the operation of pharmacies and drug shops, and how practices and behavior of attending staff relate to regulatory frameworks. This study sites are also linked to malaria prone districts such as South Bungoma, Kakamega Central, Kisii Central and Rachuonyo districts. The other research activity is utilizing policy analysis techniques in understanding the potential of increasing access through a National Health insurance scheme in Kenya.
Abuya holds a Bachelor of Education (Sc.) and a Masters in Public Health and Epidemilogy degree from Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. He also holds a Ph.D in Public Health from the Open University, UK. He Joined the KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme in 2003 as a Social Scientist and he is currently a Post Doctoral Scientist within the programme.
Collaborations
Publications
1. Abuya T. O, Yvonne Rowa, Wilfred Mutemi, Sam Ochola, Sassy Molyneux and Vicki Marsh. "Factors influencing effective delivery of the Ministry of Health District-led Private Medicine Retailer Training Programmes on Malaria in Kenya" submitted to the BMC Public Health
2. Abuya T.O, Greg Fegan, Yvone Rowa, Baya Karisa, Sam Ochola, Wilfred Mutemi, Vicki Marsh. "The Impact of Ministry of Health Interventions on Private Medicine Retailer Knowledge and Practices on Anti-malarial Treatment in Kenya" in Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 80(6), 2009, pp. 905-913
3. Abuya, T. O., Mutemi, W., Karisa, B., Ochola, S. A., Fegan, G., Marsh, V. (2007). Use of over-the-counter malaria medicines in children and adults in three districts in Kenya: implications for private medicine retailer interventions. Malaria J, (6) 57
4. Abuya, T. O., Molynuex, C. S., Orago, A. S., Were, S., Marsh, V.(2004). Quality of care provided to febrile children presenting in rural private clinics on the Kenyan Coast. Afr Health Sci (4), 3 160-170.
5. Kilonzo N, Abuya T, Mutemi W, Were S and Molyneux S (2002). SWAps and gender mainstreaming in Kenya - district level opportunities & challenges. Paper in resource pack on Sector Wide Approaches: Opportunities and Challenges for Gender Equity in Health.
6. Amin AA, Hughes DA, Marsh V, Abuya TO, Kokwaro GO, Winstanely, PA, Ochola , SA, and Snow RW. The difference between effectiveness and efficacy of antimalarial drugs in Kenya . Trop Med Int Health (9), 9; 967-74.