Members from across the AMPATH Consortium met in Eldoret, Kenya to discuss adolescent health priorities.
Mount Sinai hosted the first annual AMPATH Kenya Adolescent Health Summit February 6-8 in Eldoret, Kenya. Multidisciplinary partners from across the Consortium gathered to discuss and set priorities for adolescent health in this region of Kenya.
Anchored around the pioneering MTRH-Rafiki Centre for Excellence in Adolescent Health, the summit acted as an incubator to set priorities in relation to a 10-year strategic plan for the Adolescent Health Initiative, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all adolescents in Kenya in alignment with the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goal 3.
The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with Consortium partners, have set ambitious goals for adolescent health in relation to the AMPATH tripartite mission of care, education, and research.
The inaugural summit was attended by clinicians from adolescent health specialties, public health and policy experts, researchers, representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, along with peer mentors/navigators, and adolescents and youth from the local communities Rafiki serves.
Participants at the Adolescent Health Summit.
The summit provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss programmatic issues and needs related to the areas of the AMPATH tripartite mission, as well as establish strategies for how to address them. Several cross-cutting priorities in relation to care, research, and education for adolescent health emerged from rich discussions. These priorities include the need to give precedence to critical issues such as adolescent pregnancy and sexual and reproductive health, mental health, stigma reduction, and community support and advocacy for adolescent health services to lay the foundation for transforming adolescent health in western Kenya.
Importantly, a clear need for strengthening and expanding the peer mentorship and navigation programs became apparent. In alignment with the adage ‘Nothing for us, without us!’ adolescent and youth voices were centered in the summit sessions. Adolescents receiving care at AMPATH and representatives from the AMPATH Peer Navigator Programs, led a compelling and inspiring session where they shared their stories, advocated for their needs, and had the opportunity to interact with and drive strategic planning for adolescent health at AMPATH with health care providers, researchers, and policymakers.
In Mount Sinai’s role as the lead of the Adolescent Health Initiative at AMPATH, our team is responsible for coordinating partners in advancing care, research, and training opportunities to promote adolescent health. In the coming months, the Mount Sinai team and partners from the summit will reconvene virtually to review progress on the priorities set and continue the momentum forward to realize transformative action on adolescent health. As we continue this journey, we will highlight and share our key achievements and innovative strategies to transform and grow adolescent health services across AMPATH catchment areas with our partners.
African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”
Sakshi Sawarkar, BA, is an Associate Researcher in Global Adolescent Health and an MPH student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ashley Chory, MPH, is Global Youth Health Senior Program Manager
Lonnie Embleton, PhD, MPH, is an Adolescent Health Advisor and Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health and Health System Design