Prof. David Gathara
Principal Investigator
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Bio
David holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Since joining KWTRP in August 2008, his research work has spanned a range of disciplines including, clinical trials, evaluation of quality of care within hospitals and exploration of the application of various statistical methods (propensity score analysis, multi-level models and statistical process control) to routine data. David played a key role in development, database design and setting up the Clinical Information Network - a pragmatic research database collecting patient level data from all paediatric admissions from 14 county referral hospitals and aims at improving use of information in policy and practice. He has broad interests’ in the use of epidemiology to monitor disease trends, interventions effects, identify quality of care gaps and the use of this data for effective decision making although with a bias on how human resources for health more specifically the nursing workforce influences the quality of care provided. His future work aims at developing human resource interventions as well as optimising approaches for nursing care provision.
See moreCurrent Work
David is a health systems researcher currently leading work on nursing services research aimed at developing indicators, tools and approches for evaluating the quality of nursing care delivered in hospitals. He also co-leads the Health Services that Deliver for Newborns programme of work whose focus is understanding the burden, need and access of newborn care services as well as evaluating the quality of newborn care services.
Recent publications
Engaging stakeholders in embedded newborn health services/systems research in Kenya; a continuous process involving multiple actors.
Karumba, K.
Oluoch, D.
Mutua, E.
Gathara, D.
Fuller, S.
English, M.
Were, F.
Molyneux, S.
Maina, M.
NIHR Open Res, (2024). 4:73
Small and sick newborn care: Changes in service readiness scoring between baseline and 2023 for 65 neonatal units implementing with NEST360 in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Penzias, R. E.
Ogero, M. O.
Tillya, R.
Kassim, I.
Dosunmu, O.
Odedere, O.
Mwaniki, H.
Ochieng, V. O.
Mochache, D.
Ngwala, S. K.
Zimba, E.
Soko, G. T.
Bohne, C.
Gathara, D.
Cross, J. H.
Shabani, J.
Paul, C.
Shamba, D.
Masanja, H.
Salim, N.
Osuagwu, C.
Idowu, A.
Ogueji, I. A.
Tongo, O.
Okunlola Ogunsola, O.
Ezeaka, V. C.
Rashid, E.
Okello, G.
Wainaina, J.
Macharia, W. M.
Chiume, M.
Chalira, A.
Dube, Q.
Gicheha, E.
Molyneux, E. M.
Alooh, M.
Cousens, S.
Oden, M.
Richards-Kortum, R.
Lawn, J. E.
Ohuma, E. O.
PLOS Glob Public Health, (2025). 5:e0004367
The reality of neonatal nursing work in Kenya and implications for quality and safety: Direct observation of tasks and time utilisation.
Onyango, O.
Kagonya, V. A.
Maina, M.
Karumba, K.
Imam, A.
Fuller, S. S.
Gathara, D.
English, M.
High- Q. Hospital Group
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 172:105204
Nurses experiences with an intervention enhancing skill-mix in Kenyan neonatal units with severe workforce deficits: A qualitative study.
Odinga, N.
Waithira, C.
Maluni, J.
Ngaiza, G.
Kagonya, V.
Onyango, O.
Imam, A.
Gathara, D.
Maina, M.
Karumba, K.
Were, F.
Fuller, S.
English, M.
Mutua, E.
Molyneux, S.
Jones, C.
Oluoch, D.
High- Q. Hospital Group
Int J Nurs Stud, (2025). 171:105202
Strengthening neonatal care through ward assistants: a Kenyan case study in enhancing infection prevention and control practices.
Maina, M.
Odinga, N.
Kagonya, V.
Ngaiza, G.
Fuller, S.
Onyango, O.
Waithira, C.
Oluoch, D.
Gathara, D.
Mwangi, P.
Mwangi, L.
Musyoka, P.
Kinyua, L.
Thuranira, L.
Njoroge, V.
Mwangi, N.
Kioni, Z.
English, M.
Mutua, E.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control, (2025). 14:61