Building off our inaugural summit in January 2023, the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Team gathered in Eldoret, Kenya, to host the second AMPATH-Kenya Adolescent Health Summit.
More than 200 participants attended the three-day event, where adolescent health care specialists, researchers, government officials, peer navigators, and health-minded youth gathered to learn, share, and connect with colleagues in the field. Activities included educational sessions, workshops, interactive roleplay, and strategic planning for the coming year. The event was held Monday, June 17, to Wednesday, June 19.
Faculty from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai, as well as Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, kicked off the summit with presentations on the state of adolescent health at AMPATH across the domains of reproductive health and mental health, among others.
Salim Bakari, a founding youth peer mentor in the AMPATH program in western Kenya and senior researcher in the AMPATH pediatrics program, led a youth panel discussion focused on the theme of innovations in adolescent health across AMPATH
Lonnie Embleton, PhD, Co-Chair of the AMPATH Adolescent Health Working Group (AHWG) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Health and Health Systems Design at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, presented on the state of adolescent- and youth-friendly health services in Uasin Gishu County. Salim Bakari, a founding youth peer mentor in the AMPATH program in western Kenya and senior researcher in the AMPATH pediatrics program, led a youth panel discussion focused on the theme of innovations in adolescent health across AMPATH.
Day one concluded by highlighting AMPATH innovations in adolescent health, including projects led by Edith Apondi, MBChB, Mmed, who is the Consultant Pediatrician and founder of the Rafiki Centre of Excellence in Adolescent Health at MTRH and works with the Kenyan Adolescent HIV Implementation Sciences Alliance (KAHISA), and Florence Jaguga, MBChB, Mmed, who is the Consultant Psychiatrist at MTRH and works on screening and brief interventions for youth substance use disorders.
The second day of the summit focused on education. It began with a keynote address from Sabrina Kitaka, MD, PhD, founding president of the Society of Adolescent Health in Uganda and Senior Lecturer and Adolescent Health Specialist at Makerere University, who discussed founding adolescent health in Uganda. Then, faculty and youth awardees of the 2024 Mount Sinai RFA presented on their planned work. In the afternoon, summit participants split up to attend small-group education sessions. Topics included adolescent contraception, mental health, structural and social determinants of health, adolescent development, transitions from pediatric to adult care, and engaging youth as meaningful partners in research.
Day three of the summit began with a keynote address from Mary Ott, MD, MA, Professor of Global Health and Pediatrics and Associate Director for Youth Health Programs at the Arnhold Institute for Global Health. Dr. Ott spoke on Human Rights and Adolescent Health. Then, Dr. Ott moderated a panel of six adolescent health specialists discussing strategies for effectively communicating with young people.
Panelists included Dr. Apondi; John Steever, MD; East African specialist Njeri Karianjahi, MBChB, MmEd, consultant pediatrician at the University of Nairobi and Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital; Katherine MacDonald, MD, and Dr. Kitaka. After the panel, participants broke into small groups to practice, with youth participants playing the role of adolescents, and conference attendees practicing interview skills.
Rachel Vreeman, MD, MS, Chair and Professor in the Department of Global Health and Health System Design and Director of the Arnhold Institute for Global Health, facilitated an interview-based role play session
After the formal closing of the summit by Rachel Vreeman, MD, MS, Director of the Arnhold Institute for Global Health, and Dr. Apondi, AMPATH consortium members stayed after lunch for an afternoon of strategic planning for the coming year, across the domains of sexual and reproductive health, mental health, peers and youth participation, and adolescent and youth-friendly services and community advocacy.
After a long and productive week in Eldoret, attendees filled out a feedback form about the summit. More than 90 percent reported that the summit helped them develop new project ideas, presented knowledge relevant to their work, improved their knowledge and skills related to adolescent health, and facilitated collaboration with their colleagues in the field of adolescent health. We are so grateful for everyone’s participation and cannot wait until the next summit.
Ava Boal is an Associate Researcher at the Arnhold Institute for Global Health and the Department of Global Health and Health System Design.
