AMPATH Moving Forward Across Care, Education and Research

Celebration at the Sally Test Child Life Centre

The tumultuous changes to global health programs in 2025 shouldn’t divert us from recognizing and celebrating the successes of 2024 and the great strides that AMPATH partners in Kenya and around the world are making to realize our vision of a global partnership to ensure health for all. While there is no denying that it is an uncertain and scary time for many, our partnership is well-positioned to both absorb the bumps and chart some new routes to achieve our goals.

AMPATH Global Gathering in Kenya

In fact, AMPATH Global had a momentous start to 2024 when more than 400 people from AMPATH partnerships in Kenya, Ghana, Nepal and Mexico and representatives from most of our 16 academic partners around the world gathered in Kenya for the first AMPATH Global Gathering hosted in one of our partnership locations.

The knowledge sharing, personal connections and inspiration generated by this global event fueled a year of new care collaborations, increased investment in research and expanded training opportunities in Kenya, Ghana, Mexico and Nepal. These initiatives have carried into the new year with a great deal of momentum.

Colleagues from Kenya and Nepal working on cervical and breast cancer screening

Perhaps the most exciting collaborations that are manifesting are those between our AMPATH partner locations. Doctors from Kenya and Nepal engaged in a maternal fetal medicine exchange. Partners from Nepal, Ghana and Kenya are working together on a new non-communicable disease initiative.  Other colleagues from Nepal and Kenya are collaborating to screen more than 50,000 women for breast and cervical cancer. Nurses from around the world gathered for the first AMPATH Global nursing conference and continue their collaborations in a new nursing working group.

Dr. Sumisti from Nepal worked with the Kenyan maternal fetal medicine team.

These initiatives represent a new era for the AMPATH Global partnership with unlimited opportunities to improve healthcare around the globe.

Of course, new and expanding care, education and research initiatives are also happening between our partners in Kenya, Moi University and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and our 16 AMPATH Consortium members around the world.

More than 30 Moi University students rotated at AMPATH Consortium partners.

More than 30 Moi University students completed rotations at AMPATH Consortium schools including: Brown University, Duke University, Indiana University, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Linköping University, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, Stanford University, The University of Texas at Austin (UT), University of Toronto and University of Virginia. NYU hosted medical students from the University for Development Studies in Ghana.  For the first time, Moi University nursing students were hosted by IU and UT.

Medical residents were also hosted by many of these universities as well. For several of the consortium members this was the first year hosting. We look forward to continuing to expand the bidirectional education exchange that has been part of AMPATH since it began.  

Temple University became the newest member of the AMPATH Consortium in 2024. In addition to the universities already mentioned, the consortium includes Purdue University, University of Alberta, University of California at San Francisco and the University of Louisville.  

New and well-known faces became part of the AMPATH team in Kenya including: Kara Wools-Kaloustian, MD, MS (executive site director), Steven Hatch, MD, MSc (associate site director for infectious diseases), Etoroabasi E. Ekpe, MD, MPH (in-country reproductive health lead) and Jason Axt, MD, MPH (in-country surgery lead).

AMPATH investigators received five new RO1 grants last year aimed at preventing malaria, improving medication adherence, diagnosing pediatric cancers and autism, and improving access to care for people with epilepsy. Two AMPATH leaders are also in the midst of prestigious Fogarty Fellowships aimed at improving care for stroke patients and screening for gestational diabetes.

The D43 grant "Training in HIV Implementation Science and Dissemination in Kenya (HIV-ID)", led by Investigators at Moi University and Indiana University continued progress toward the goal of building sustainable HIV-related educational infrastructure in western Kenya. Two courses were developed as part of the grant and implemented at the Moi University School of Public Health.

In total, the AMPATH Kenya Research program received $18.4 million USD for 61 research projects in 2024.

Biobank opening

During the AMPATH Research Symposium, the Moi University-Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Biobank was officially opened to provide a dedicated space where biospecimens such as blood or tissue are stored for short or long-term for use in research and training. Additionally, AMPATH Research has unveiled a new core, the Translational Research Core that will enhance the translation of research findings to policy and practice. These two new resources represent growing research infrastructure that includes the Moi University Clinical Research Centre, AMPATH Reference Lab and AMPATH Qualitative Research Core.

Additional new facilities under construction at MTRH include the Harry Dyer Burn Center and Shoe4Africa Juli Anne Perry Cancer Children’s Hospital. A new neurodevelopmental clinic for children is set to break ground soon. The new facilities for children will benefit from the growing work of the Sally Test Child Life program which launched its first child life training for other providers in Kenya and neighboring countries this year.  

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week was recognized at MTRH.

Robust collaborations between our Kenyan and AMPATH Consortium partners continued to grow in areas such as adolescent health, radiology, cardiothoracic surgery, antimicrobial stewardship and many other areas of care. The Project ECHO tele-education platform continues to expand in both breadth of topics and reach across western Kenya, bringing professional medical education to even the most remote areas.

The success of many of these initiatives continue to inform care, not only in low and middle-countries, but also in resource-limited communities in the United States. Through the process of reciprocal innovation, the lessons learned and approaches to care that work in one community are being continuously adapted to address challenges in other communities.

Before the announcement of foreign aid cuts in January 2025, AMPATH’s three HIV programs were celebrating the past year’s successes including the completion of two years of follow-up for HIV-Exposed Infants who did not contract the virus, stellar suppression rates in the pediatric clinic, and a focus on quality improvement through best practices forums.

While faced with unprecedented challenges, continuity of care for our patients living with HIV and the most vulnerable Kenyans has been our primary concern. After multiple weeks of uncertainty, the situation continues to evolve in a positive direction, though challenges and funding gaps remain. AMPATH received notices that the PEPFAR-supported programs could resume most work and funding mechanisms are functioning again. We are grateful to the generous donors who have provided critical funds for immediate needs and for longer-term efforts to redesign care delivery by incorporating HIV care into sustainable, government primary care systems.

The community team working on the epilepsy care grant

We anticipate that programs such as those for gender-based violence and family planning will not have their funding restored. We are grateful for your continued support of our programs and people through the AMPATH Emergency Response Fund.

Sadly, this past year we lost AMPATH leaders whose lives changed the lives of so many others for the better. In March 2024, Dr. Edith Kwobah, leader of AMPATH’s mental health initiatives and Deputy Executive Director of Research who was an inspiration to many, succumbed to cancer. In October, AMPATH founder and one of the first team leaders Charlie Kelley passed away. Our sincere condolences are with their friends and family and AMPATH will continue to grow and honor their legacies.

The start of each new year brings a spirit of optimism. Although this year the optimism may be more cautious than normal, we are encouraged by the continuation of most AMPATH HIV programs, supported by a tremendous community around the world. We are confident in the depth and strength of our partnership. But most of all, we are grateful to all of you, our donors, healthcare providers, supporters, clients and families for walking this bumpy road with us. Together we will go far.

Professor Sylvester Kimaiyo

Professor Winstone Nyandiko

Dr. Adrian Gardner

Dr. Kara Wools-Kaloustian