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Nairobi Programme
Prof. David Gathara
Principal Investigator
Collaborations
Videos
Bio
David holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Since joining KWTRP in August 2008, his research work has spanned a range of disciplines including, clinical trials, evaluation of quality of care within hospitals and exploration of the application of various statistical methods (propensity score analysis, multi-level models and statistical process control) to routine data. David played a key role in development, database design and setting up the Clinical Information Network - a pragmatic research database collecting patient level data from all paediatric admissions from 14 county referral hospitals and aims at improving use of information in policy and practice. He has broad interests’ in the use of epidemiology to monitor disease trends, interventions effects, identify quality of care gaps and the use of this data for effective decision making although with a bias on how human resources for health more specifically the nursing workforce influences the quality of care provided. His future work aims at developing human resource interventions as well as optimising approaches for nursing care provision.
See moreCurrent Work
David is a health systems researcher currently leading work on nursing services research aimed at developing indicators, tools and approches for evaluating the quality of nursing care delivered in hospitals. He also co-leads the Health Services that Deliver for Newborns programme of work whose focus is understanding the burden, need and access of newborn care services as well as evaluating the quality of newborn care services.
Recent publications
Applying a multi-layered, mixed methods approach to evaluate technology and workforce interventions in Kenyan neonatal units.
Maina, M., Molyneux, S., Were, F., Oluoch, D., Mutua, E., Gathara, D., English, M., Imam, A., Ngaiza, G., Rababeh, A., Grewal, G., Nasir, N., Waithira, C., Odinga, N., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Karumba, K., Jones, C., Mwangi, P., Kinyua, L., Thuranira, L., Njoroge, V., Mwangi, N., Mwangi, L., Musyoka, P., Kioni, Z., Fuller, S. S.
Glob Health Action, (2025). 18:2558267
The reality of neonatal nursing work in Kenya and implications for quality and safety: Direct observation of tasks and time utilisation.
Onyango, O., Kagonya, V. A., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Imam, A., Fuller, S. S., Gathara, D., English, M.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 172:105204
Nurses experiences with an intervention enhancing skill-mix in Kenyan neonatal units with severe workforce deficits: A qualitative study.
Odinga, N., Waithira, C., Maluni, J., Ngaiza, G., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Imam, A., Gathara, D., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Were, F., Fuller, S., English, M., Mutua, E., Molyneux, S., Jones, C., Oluoch, D.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 171:105202
Implementation of a task-shifting and task sharing intervention: A case of ward assistants in Kenyan neonatal units.
Kagonya, V. A., Odinga, N., Onyango, O., Waithira, C., Imam, A., Mutua, E., Oluoch, D., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Amadi, I., Fuller, S. S., Gathara, D., English, M.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 171:105176
Delivery of care in high mortality hospital settings: a direct observational study examining 1848 h of neonatal nursing in Kenya.
Imam, A., Maina, M., Aluvaala, J., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Were, F., Fuller, S., Karumba, K., English, M., Gathara, D.
EClinicalMedicine, (2025). 87:103434
Prof. David Gathara
Principal Investigator
Biography
David holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Since joining KWTRP in August 2008, his research work has spanned a range of disciplines including, clinical trials, evaluation of quality of care within hospitals and exploration of the application of various statistical methods (propensity score analysis, multi-level models and statistical process control) to routine data. David played a key role in development, database design and setting up the Clinical Information Network - a pragmatic research database collecting patient level data from all paediatric admissions from 14 county referral hospitals and aims at improving use of information in policy and practice. He has broad interests’ in the use of epidemiology to monitor disease trends, interventions effects, identify quality of care gaps and the use of this data for effective decision making although with a bias on how human resources for health more specifically the nursing workforce influences the quality of care provided. His future work aims at developing human resource interventions as well as optimising approaches for nursing care provision.
See moreCurrent Work
David is a health systems researcher currently leading work on nursing services research aimed at developing indicators, tools and approches for evaluating the quality of nursing care delivered in hospitals. He also co-leads the Health Services that Deliver for Newborns programme of work whose focus is understanding the burden, need and access of newborn care services as well as evaluating the quality of newborn care services.
Collaborations
Project Research
No active details yet
Videos
Applying a multi-layered, mixed methods approach to evaluate technology and workforce interventions in Kenyan neonatal units.
Maina, M., Molyneux, S., Were, F., Oluoch, D., Mutua, E., Gathara, D., English, M., Imam, A., Ngaiza, G., Rababeh, A., Grewal, G., Nasir, N., Waithira, C., Odinga, N., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Karumba, K., Jones, C., Mwangi, P., Kinyua, L., Thuranira, L., Njoroge, V., Mwangi, N., Mwangi, L., Musyoka, P., Kioni, Z., Fuller, S. S.
Glob Health Action, (2025). 18:2558267
The reality of neonatal nursing work in Kenya and implications for quality and safety: Direct observation of tasks and time utilisation.
Onyango, O., Kagonya, V. A., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Imam, A., Fuller, S. S., Gathara, D., English, M.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 172:105204
Nurses experiences with an intervention enhancing skill-mix in Kenyan neonatal units with severe workforce deficits: A qualitative study.
Odinga, N., Waithira, C., Maluni, J., Ngaiza, G., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Imam, A., Gathara, D., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Were, F., Fuller, S., English, M., Mutua, E., Molyneux, S., Jones, C., Oluoch, D.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 171:105202
Implementation of a task-shifting and task sharing intervention: A case of ward assistants in Kenyan neonatal units.
Kagonya, V. A., Odinga, N., Onyango, O., Waithira, C., Imam, A., Mutua, E., Oluoch, D., Maina, M., Karumba, K., Amadi, I., Fuller, S. S., Gathara, D., English, M.
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 171:105176
Delivery of care in high mortality hospital settings: a direct observational study examining 1848 h of neonatal nursing in Kenya.
Imam, A., Maina, M., Aluvaala, J., Kagonya, V., Onyango, O., Were, F., Fuller, S., Karumba, K., English, M., Gathara, D.
EClinicalMedicine, (2025). 87:103434
Prof. David Gathara 9
Principal Investigator
Biography
David holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Since joining KWTRP in August 2008, his research work has spanned a range of disciplines including, clinical trials, evaluation of quality of care within hospitals and exploration of the application of various statistical methods (propensity score analysis, multi-level models and statistical process control) to routine data. David played a key role in development, database design and setting up the Clinical Information Network - a pragmatic research database collecting patient level data from all paediatric admissions from 14 county referral hospitals and aims at improving use of information in policy and practice. He has broad interests’ in the use of epidemiology to monitor disease trends, interventions effects, identify quality of care gaps and the use of this data for effective decision making although with a bias on how human resources for health more specifically the nursing workforce influences the quality of care provided. His future work aims at developing human resource interventions as well as optimising approaches for nursing care provision.