December 4, 2025

Dr. Keshet Ronen receives award to assess inclusion in digital community health services in Kenya

Congratulations to Dr. Keshet Ronen, Assistant Professor in Global Health, for receiving funding for “Empowering Women through Digital Connectivity: Advancing Community Health in Kenya” that leverages the ongoing CHV-NEO (Community-based digital communication to support neonatal health) trial activities. CHV-NEO uses text messaging, integrated into Kenya’s national electronic community health information system (eCHIS),  to remotely connect mothers of newborns with community health workers for enhanced care during the high-risk neonatal period. CHV-NEO has the potential to reduce neonatal mortality and improve coverage of community-based perinatal preventative care in medically underserved communities in Kenya.

This grant is funded through the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Connectivity (WEE-Connect) Initiative at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development. With this funding support, Dr. Ronen and a collaborative team from Kenyatta National Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital will determine the association between engagement in CHV-NEO (by women and community health workers) and clinical outcomes, identify inequities in engagement with eCHIS and CHV-NEO, and estimate the economic cost of these tools. The team will extend the trial cohort and conduct additional data analysis.

By rigorously evaluating digital engagement, identifying disparities in access, and assessing the cost of digital health solutions, this project will generate evidence to inform inclusive digital health strategies for women and children’s health in Kenya.

We look forward to learning about the results in Fall 2026!