This past November 2023, Public Health Sciences Assistant Professor Kathryn Quissell led a research team of four UVA students (Sona Kalatardi, Momore Del-Davidson, Seth Tersteeg, and Meagan Gillette) to Kilifi County, Kenya, on the east coast of the country. They conducted research with Kuhenza For The Children, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that serves to transform harmful perceptions of disabilities into those that enhance the lives of children with disabilities. During their week in Kenya, they learned more about Kuhenza’s work, and the work of nurses and community health promoters in the healthcare system, identifying strengths and gaps in services for children born with disabilities. Their work ultimately served two main research projects: geographic information system (GIS) mapping of households and facilities, and the creation of a survey that will be used to assess the stigma against disabilities present in the healthcare system.
The team began the week by touring different levels of healthcare facilities, from the lowest level of dispensaries to Level 4 Hospitals. They were also able to talk with community health promoters and nurses about their experiences treating children with disabilities and the training they receive on disability conditions. With more background information, the UVA and Kuhenza teams worked together to draft a baseline survey of beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors that will be distributed at health facilities throughout the county beginning in May 2024. For the GIS mapping component, the team had the opportunity to travel to and visit some of the families that are served by Kuhenza. They were able to meet families and community members both within and beyond Kuhenza’s network, and discussed their experiences within their respective communities. GIS coordinates were captured to see where children with disabilities live in relation to schools, health facilities, and other important public services.
Meagan, an MPH student at UVA, is using the information gained throughout the week as a basis for her Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) project in the MPH program. Meagan’s ILE, which she is working on this semester, focuses on understanding access to healthcare for children with disabilities in Kilifi County with the use of ArcGIS. Touring hospitals and the healthcare facilities that were central to her ILE project allowed Meagan to develop a further understanding of the healthcare system that has been essential for the work done so far on her ILE project. Through GIS Mapping, Meagan learned more about how Kuhenza has been collecting their geographic data that will be central to her ILE project. The GIS mapping project also allows Kuhenza to map the distances between children they have registered and the closest healthcare facility, providing them information that could potentially facilitate treatment and support for children with disabilities in need of healthcare services. The survey will be given to nurses and community health workers to assess damaging beliefs surrounding disabilities. Because these groups have the most interactions with these children, the data will allow Kuhenza to advocate or lead training that will help these groups’ beliefs and treatment of their patients. Both the GIS mapping and survey data will enable Kuhenza to identify gaps in accessibility and the impact of stigma, ultimately allowing them to advocate for improved healthcare infrastructure and resources in Kilifi County. 