Richard G Wamai
Biographic Data
| ID | 117295 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Richard G Wamai |
| GIVEN NAMES | Richard G |
| FAMILY NAME | Wamai |
| SIGNATURE | WAMAI R G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Northeastern University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6566-5159 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Iced Out: Integrated cold-chain eliminating disease outreach. Piloting a motorcycle-enabled laboratory transport system combatting visceral leishmaniasis in rural Kenya
The fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly visceral leishmaniasis (VL) among Kenya's Pokot tribe, exemplifies the need for improved last-mile healthcare delivery systems. The Pokot face high disease burdens due to their pastoral lifestyle, socioeconomic hardship, and comorbidities such as malnutrition and high exposure to communicable diseases. Despite the availability of VL diagnostics and treatments…
Teenage mothers report poor health and economic functioning in Western Kenya: A call to action
Teenage pregnancy remains a critical issue in Kenya, with 15% of girls aged 15–19 having been pregnant. Counties in western Kenya experience high teenage pregnancy rates (22–30%) along with high HIV prevalence and widespread poverty. Long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy have been documented in high-income countries, but evidence from the Global South is lacking. Here, we examined the association between teenage pregnancy and adult socio-ec…
Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease…
BACKGROUND: Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mort…
Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic: A compr…
BACKGROUND: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 cou…
Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of …
IMPORTANCE: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. OBJECTIVE: To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. EVIDENCE REVIEW: The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used t…
Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: All-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study …
BACKGROUND: Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, a…
Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2018
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)-giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life-is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of E…
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study…
BACKGROUND: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system le…
Predictors of Health Insurance Enrollment among HIV Positive Pregnant Women in Kenya: Potential for Adverse Selection and Implications for HIV Treatment and Prevention
Background : The global push to achieve the 90-90-90 targets designed to end the HIV epidemic has called for the removing of policy barriers to prevention and treatment, and ensuring financial sustainability of HIV programs. Universal health insurance is one tool that can be used to this end. In sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV prevalence and incidence remain high, the use of health insurance to provide comprehensive HIV care is limited. This study …
Effects of social health insurance on access and utilization of obstetric health services: Results from HIV+ pregnant women in Kenya
This study confirms conceptual and practical considerations around health insurance and healthcare access for HIV+ persons. Further, it helps to inform relevant policy development for health insurance and HIV financing and delivery in Kenya and in similar countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the universal health coverage (UHC) era
Predictors of cervical cancer screening among Kenyan women: Results of a nested case-control study in a nationally representative survey
Uptake of cervical cancer screening is low despite high awareness. Strategies to improve cervical cancer screening in Kenya should be implemented with messages targeting persons with both risky and non-risky lifestyles especially younger women with no formal education living in rural areas
Non-communicable diseases surveillance: Overview of magnitude and determinants in Kenya from STEPwise approach survey of 2015
Disease surveillance is a scientifically and legally established hallmark of population health whose goal is systematically collecting, interpreting and disseminating data to target and monitor interventions to reduce disease morbidity and mortality [1–5]. However, data is often either lacking or of low quality especially in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). For example, more than half of global deaths for 2015 did not have an established …
Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension and their determinants: Results from a national survey in Kenya
This study provides the first nationally-representative estimates for hypertension in Kenya. Prevalence among adults is high, with unacceptably low levels of awareness, treatment and control. The results also reveal that men are less aware of their hypertension status hence special attention should focus on this group
HIV prevention costs and their predictors: Evidence from the ORPHEA Project in Kenya
We estimate costs and their predictors for three HIV prevention interventions in Kenya: HIV testing and counselling (HTC), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). As part of the 'Optimizing the Response of Prevention: HIV Efficiency in Africa' (ORPHEA) project, we collected retrospective data from government and non-governmental health facilities for 2011-12. We used multi-stage sampling …
Why Don’t You Register Your Child? A Study of Attitudes and Factors Affecting Birth Registration in Kenya, and Policy Suggestions
Birth registration imposes major challenges in developing countries, with importance to rights, health and all levels of development. Despite targeted initiatives, often with focus on improved access and information, universal registration has been elusive. Using cross-sectional survey from Kenya, we provide new evidence for why parents may not register. We report high awareness, low barriers – however with over 50 per cent of children unregister…
Male circumcision for protection against HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: The evidence in favour justifies the implementation now in progress
This article responds to a recent 'controversy study' in Global Public Health by de Camargo et al. directed at three randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of male circumcision (MC) for HIV prevention. These trials were conducted in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and published in 2005 and 2007. The RCTs confirmed observational data that had accumulated over the preceding two decades showing that MC reduces by 60% the risk of HIV infecti…
Reassessing HIV Prevention
The largest investments in AIDS prevention targeted to the general population are being made in interventions where the evidence for large-scale impact is uncertain.
Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2018
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)-giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life-is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of E…
Reassessing HIV Prevention
The largest investments in AIDS prevention targeted to the general population are being made in interventions where the evidence for large-scale impact is uncertain.
Why Don’t You Register Your Child? A Study of Attitudes and Factors Affecting Birth Registration in Kenya, and Policy Suggestions
Birth registration imposes major challenges in developing countries, with importance to rights, health and all levels of development. Despite targeted initiatives, often with focus on improved access and information, universal registration has been elusive. Using cross-sectional survey from Kenya, we provide new evidence for why parents may not register. We report high awareness, low barriers – however with over 50 per cent of children unregister…
Male circumcision for protection against HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: The evidence in favour justifies the implementation now in progress
This article responds to a recent 'controversy study' in Global Public Health by de Camargo et al. directed at three randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of male circumcision (MC) for HIV prevention. These trials were conducted in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and published in 2005 and 2007. The RCTs confirmed observational data that had accumulated over the preceding two decades showing that MC reduces by 60% the risk of HIV infecti…
HIV prevention costs and their predictors: Evidence from the ORPHEA Project in Kenya
We estimate costs and their predictors for three HIV prevention interventions in Kenya: HIV testing and counselling (HTC), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). As part of the 'Optimizing the Response of Prevention: HIV Efficiency in Africa' (ORPHEA) project, we collected retrospective data from government and non-governmental health facilities for 2011-12. We used multi-stage sampling …
Predictors of cervical cancer screening among Kenyan women: Results of a nested case-control study in a nationally representative survey
Uptake of cervical cancer screening is low despite high awareness. Strategies to improve cervical cancer screening in Kenya should be implemented with messages targeting persons with both risky and non-risky lifestyles especially younger women with no formal education living in rural areas
Non-communicable diseases surveillance: Overview of magnitude and determinants in Kenya from STEPwise approach survey of 2015
Disease surveillance is a scientifically and legally established hallmark of population health whose goal is systematically collecting, interpreting and disseminating data to target and monitor interventions to reduce disease morbidity and mortality [1–5]. However, data is often either lacking or of low quality especially in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). For example, more than half of global deaths for 2015 did not have an established …
Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension and their determinants: Results from a national survey in Kenya
This study provides the first nationally-representative estimates for hypertension in Kenya. Prevalence among adults is high, with unacceptably low levels of awareness, treatment and control. The results also reveal that men are less aware of their hypertension status hence special attention should focus on this group
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study…
BACKGROUND: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system le…
Predictors of Health Insurance Enrollment among HIV Positive Pregnant Women in Kenya: Potential for Adverse Selection and Implications for HIV Treatment and Prevention
Background : The global push to achieve the 90-90-90 targets designed to end the HIV epidemic has called for the removing of policy barriers to prevention and treatment, and ensuring financial sustainability of HIV programs. Universal health insurance is one tool that can be used to this end. In sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV prevalence and incidence remain high, the use of health insurance to provide comprehensive HIV care is limited. This study …
Effects of social health insurance on access and utilization of obstetric health services: Results from HIV+ pregnant women in Kenya
This study confirms conceptual and practical considerations around health insurance and healthcare access for HIV+ persons. Further, it helps to inform relevant policy development for health insurance and HIV financing and delivery in Kenya and in similar countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the universal health coverage (UHC) era
Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: All-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study …
BACKGROUND: Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, a…
Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2018
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)-giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life-is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of E…
Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of …
IMPORTANCE: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. OBJECTIVE: To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. EVIDENCE REVIEW: The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used t…
Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease…
BACKGROUND: Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mort…
Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic: A compr…
BACKGROUND: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 cou…
Teenage mothers report poor health and economic functioning in Western Kenya: A call to action
Teenage pregnancy remains a critical issue in Kenya, with 15% of girls aged 15–19 having been pregnant. Counties in western Kenya experience high teenage pregnancy rates (22–30%) along with high HIV prevalence and widespread poverty. Long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy have been documented in high-income countries, but evidence from the Global South is lacking. Here, we examined the association between teenage pregnancy and adult socio-ec…
Iced Out: Integrated cold-chain eliminating disease outreach. Piloting a motorcycle-enabled laboratory transport system combatting visceral leishmaniasis in rural Kenya
The fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly visceral leishmaniasis (VL) among Kenya's Pokot tribe, exemplifies the need for improved last-mile healthcare delivery systems. The Pokot face high disease burdens due to their pastoral lifestyle, socioeconomic hardship, and comorbidities such as malnutrition and high exposure to communicable diseases. Despite the availability of VL diagnostics and treatments…
Medicine (16 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Population (10 works) · Demography (9 works) · Public health (7 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (6 works) · Economic growth (5 works) · Nursing (5 works) · Biostatistics (4 works) · Disease (4 works)