Bio


Benjamin Tsofa is a PI and Senior Principal Research Scientist - HPSR at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme/KEMRI-CGMRC, and the Academic Lead for the Health Systems and Preventive Sciences PhD Training Program at the KEMRI Graduate School. He previously served as the Centre Director of the KEMRI – Centre for Geographic Medicine Research – Coast. He holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Nairobi; and and a PGD, MSc and DrPH from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research interests focus on applying systems thinking approaches and theories in examining various aspects of the organization and functioning of health systems, including on health system governance, health financing, human resources for health, and service delivery systems; to tackle current (and future) health system challenges - focusing on national, sub-national, service delivery (facility) and community levels in Kenya and across various countries in the African region. He also works on applying various policy analysis and political economy theories in examining health policy design and implementation; and on policy engagement and knowledge translation for supporting evidence use in health system decision making. He currently leads the Health Policy and Systems Research Group, and the National Centre for the African Health Observatory Platform for Health Systems and Policies (AHOP),  at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. He holds various (adjunct) teaching positions including,  at the KEMRI Graduate School, Pwani University – Kilifi, and Strathmore University - Nariobi, and a visiting Teaching Fellow position at Oxford University. He serves in several Technical Advisory Committees and Technical Working Groups, at the National Ministry of Health in Kenya, to support to various health system strengthening initiatives; and across other countries in the region, with the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO-AFRO)

See more

Current Work


Current (ongoing work) includes:

AHOP - A regional partnership (hosted by WHO-AFRO) for supporting evidence-informed health system policy-making  (https://ahop.aho.afro.who.int/national-centres/kenya/)

Supporting inclusive and accountable health systems decisions in Ghana and Kenya for universal health coverage - SUPPORT-SYSTEMS. focusing on Supporting inclusive and accountable health systems decisions for UHC  in Kenya and Ghana.(https://www.fhi.no/en/projects/support-systems/)

Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation  (QuEST – Kenya): A global partnership aimed at building the evidence base to support transformation to high quality health systems by improving measurement, testing solutions, and creating generalizable knowledge (https://questnetwork.org/quest-kenya)

IHCoR-Africa: NIHR Global Research Group on Improving Hypertension Control in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa (IHCoR-Africa) (https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR134544)

Re-pivoting Health System in the WHO AFRO Region

Evaluating Primary Health Care Financing and Health System Policy Changes and Reforms in Kenya


See more

Research Groups


Previous projects  include:

Health Systems Performance Reviews in Kenya, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Namibia, Eswatini and Angola

Examining human resources for health management practices and their consequences in Kenya

Examining and strengthening health system responsiveness to citizen feedback in Kenya

Examining Governance and Political Economy of Sub-National Health Management in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi

A process evaluation of a package of initiatives to enhance evidence informed policy making (EEVIDEM).

Examining the intentions and actual effects of devolution on health system functioning in Kenya

A critical assessment of the implementation and effects of the free maternal care policy in Kenya

Examining and building health system resilience through focusing on mid-level manager leadership practices, organisational relationships and their underpinning values – as part of the RESYST Consortium. (https://resyst.lshtm.ac.uk/)

Examining The Balance Between Bottom-Up and Top-down Priorities in Planning and Budgeting in Kenya’s Government Health Sector



Recent publications


No publication yet