Nairobi Programme

Biography

Jacinta is health systems and policy researcher with the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi. She has a PHD in Health and Social Studies (University of Warwick) and a Masters degree in global health (Oxford University). Her research work and interests are mainly in the areas of management of human resources for health, health policy analysis and the interpretive analysis of their implementation, organizational change and implementation of innovation, organizational behaviour and clinical leadership and health system governance.

Current Work

Research Projects • AHOP -A regional collaborative initiative which supports and promotes the transfer of evidence and experience between countries to foster action by, supporting rigorous analysis of health systems to generate knowledge evidence linked to key health system thematic areas, increasing awareness and uptake of available evidence and expertise from policy makers and building the capacity of policy makers on evidence informed policy making at national and regional levels. • QuEST-a project that aims at building evidence to support transformation to high quality health systems by improving measurement, testing solutions, and creating generalizable knowledge in partnership with changemakers • SUPPORT- A study project that explores how decision-making processes for health systems strengthening and universal health coverage (UHC) can be made more inclusive, responsive and accountable. The study aims at generating insights that can help policymakers and stakeholders implement inclusive and accountable evidence based decision-making processes for health systems strengthening and UHC • Examining human resource management practices and their consequences in Kenya- at sub-national level and the experiences of implementing human resources for health intervention Collaborations • Margaret Kruk-Harvard University, Boston, USA • Lesong Conteh- London School of Economics, UK • Unni Gopinathan- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) • Mike Gill – Said Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom • Justice Nonvignon- University of Ghana • Lucy Gilson-University of Cape Town, South Africa • Leonard Cosmas-WHO, Kenya country office • Jeniffer Orwa-Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) • Rose Bosire- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) • Joseph Sitienei-Ministry of Health, Kenya • Simon Kibias- Ministry of Health, Kenya Research Group • QuEST Kenya Leads group -members include -Emelda Okiro, Peter Mugo, Benjamin Tsofa, Edwine Barasa, Rose Kosgei, Hillary Kimutai, Mercy Rop • AHOP Kenya co-managing-members include Emelda Okiro, Sam Kinyanjui, Benjamin Tsofa, Edwine Barasa, Kui Muraya, Fatma Guleid, Joshua Munywoki • HSU-Nursing research - managing -members Joyline Jepkosgei and Daniel Mbuthia Other roles Editorial boards you sit on. • Guest Editor, PLOS Global Public Health Advisory/technical working groups you belong to. • Member of Health Systems Global • Member of the Kenya Health Information, Research M&E ICC • Member of the Kenya Nursing and Midwifery Policy Technical Working Group • Member of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Universal Health Care Committee • World Health Organization (WHO)-Technical consultant on various topics Reviewer roles • Several peer -reviewed journal Appointments: • Adjunct Faculty, Institute of Healthcare Management, Strathmore Business School (teaching and supervision of masters and PhD students) • Adjunct Faculty, School of Public Health (teaching and supervision of masters students) • Visiting Lecturer, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Collaborations

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Project Research

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Publications

Women's autonomy and maternal health decision making in Kenya: implications for service delivery reform - a qualitative study.
Olwanda, E., Opondo, K., Oluoch, D., Croke, K., Maluni, J., Jepkosgei, J., Nzinga, J.
BMC Womens Health, (2024). 24:181

The path to universal health coverage in five African and Asian countries: examining the association between insurance status and health-care use.
Odipo, E., Jarhyan, P., Nzinga, J., Prabhakaran, D., Aryal, A., Clarke-Deelder, E., Mohan, S., Mosa, M., Eshetu, M. K., Lewis, T. P., Kapoor, N. R., Kruk, M. E., Fink, G., Okiro, E. A.
Lancet Glob Health, (2024). 12:e123-e133

Population confidence in the health system in 15 countries: results from the first round of the People's Voice Survey.
Kruk, M. E., Kapoor, N. R., Lewis, T. P., Arsenault, C., Boutsikari, E. C., Breda, J., Carai, S., Croke, K., Dayalu, R., Fink, G., Garcia, P. J., Kassa, M., Mohan, S., Moshabela, M., Nzinga, J., Oh, J., Okiro, E. A., Prabhakaran, D., SteelFisher, G. K., Tarricone, R., Garcia-Elorrio, E.
Lancet Glob Health, (2024). 12:e100-e111

Primary health care in practice: usual source of care and health system performance across 14 countries.
Croke, K., Moshabela, M., Kapoor, N. R., Doubova, S. V., Garcia-Elorrio, E., HaileMariam, D., Lewis, T. P., Mfeka-Nkabinde, G. N., Mohan, S., Mugo, P., Nzinga, J., Prabhakaran, D., Tadele, A., Wright, K. D., Kruk, M. E.
Lancet Glob Health, (2024). 12:e134-e144

'We were treated like we are nobody': a mixed-methods study of medical doctors' internship experiences in Kenya and Uganda.
Zhao, Y., Mbuthia, D., Gathara, D., Nzinga, J., Tweheyo, R., English, M.
BMJ Glob Health, (2023). 8:

Measuring people's views on health system performance: Design and development of the people's voice survey.
Lewis, T. P., Kapoor, N. R., Aryal, A., Bazua-Lobato, R., Carai, S., Clarke-Deelder, E., Croke, K., Dayalu, R., Espinoza-Pajuelo, L., Fink, G., Garcia, P. J., Garcia-Elorrio, E., Getachew, T., Jarhyan, P., Kassa, M., Kim, S. A., Mazzoni, A., Medina-Ranilla, J., Mohan, S., Molla, G., Moshabela, M., Naidoo, I., Nzinga, J., Oh, J., Okiro, E. A., Prabhakaran, D., Roberti, J., SteelFisher, G., Taddele, T., Tadele, A., Wang, X., Xu, R., Leslie, H. H., Kruk, M. E.
PLoS Med, (2023). 20:e1004294

Health system leadership development in selected African countries: challenges and opportunities..
Gilson, L., Nzinga, J., Orgill, M., Belrhiti, Z.
Research Handbook on Leadership in Healthcare, (2023). :686-698

Examining the absorption of post-internship medical officers into the public sector at county-level in devolved Kenya: a qualitative case study.
Zhao, Y., Mbuthia, D., Munywoki, J., Gathara, D., Nicodemo, C., Nzinga, J., English, M.
BMC Health Serv Res, (2023). 23:875

Correction: Examining the absorption of post-internship medical officers into the public sector at county-level in devolved Kenya: a qualitative case study.
Zhao, Y., Mbuthia, D., Munywoki, J., Gathara, D., Nicodemo, C., Nzinga, J., English, M.
BMC Health Serv Res, (2023). 23:952

The hidden emotional labour behind ensuring the social value of research: Experiences of frontline health policy and systems researchers based in Kenya during COVID-19.
Nzinga, J., Oliwa, J., Oluoch, D., Jepkosgei, J., Mbuthia, D., Boga, M., Musitia, P., Ogola, M., Muinga, N., Muraya, K., Hinga, A., Kamuya, D., Kelley, M., Molyneux, S.
PLOS Glob Public Health, (2023). 3:e0002116