Peter Cherutich MPH, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Global Health, University of Washington

Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services, Kenya Ministry of Health

Dr. Peter Cherutich, MPH, PhD, is a Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services at the Kenya Ministry of Health and previously was the Director of Preventive and Promotive Health Services. Before stepping into this position, he was a program manager, at the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP). Dr. Cherutich is a pioneer implementation scientist and graduated with a PhD in Global Health-Implementation Science from the University of Washington in 2015. His research interests revolve around optimizing HIV prevention options in Kenya and his portfolio includes pioneering work among people who inject drugs (PWID). In the context of micro-elimination of Hepatitis C among PWID Dr. Cherutich established research collaborations with the University of Washington (UW), Yale University and Gilead Sciences. His PhD work published in the Lancet HIV catalyzed WHO recommendations in assisted HIV partner notification services and is the basis for scaling up of partner notification services in PEPFAR and Global Fund supported countries including Kenya. He also has interests in young and adolescent women to improve their knowledge of HIV status and to establish mechanisms for resilience and reduce risk of HIV acquisition. In partnership with Georgetown University he is on initial discussions on implementation science research work around HIV cure and some preparatory work that would need to be done before it becomes available.

Publications

  1. Walker, JG, Akiyama, MJ, Artenie, A, Cleland, CM, Lizcano, JA, Musyoki, H et al.. Impact of scaling up harm reduction interventions on injecting risk behaviours, ART outcomes and HIV incidence among people who inject drugs in Kenya. Int J Drug Policy. 2025;140 :104824. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104824. PubMed PMID:40328143 .
  2. Manley, HN, Riback, LR, Nyakowa, M, Akiyama, MJ, Cherutich, P, Lizcano, J et al.. Barriers to and impacts of hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs in Kenya: A qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025;5 (1):e0003284. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003284. PubMed PMID:39821143 PubMed Central PMC11737709.
  3. List, K, Agamile, P, Alia, DY, Cherutich, P, Danforth, K, Kinuthia, J et al.. Reimagining policy implementation science in a global context: a theoretical discussion. Front Health Serv. 2024;4 :1292688. doi: 10.3389/frhs.2024.1292688. PubMed PMID:39371575 PubMed Central PMC11449972.
  4. Riback, LR, Nyakowa, M, Lizcano, JA, Zhang, C, Cherutich, P, Kurth, AE et al.. Polysubstance Use and Related Risk Behaviors among People Who Inject Drugs in Kenya Preparing for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment. Viruses. 2024;16 (8):. doi: 10.3390/v16081277. PubMed PMID:39205251 PubMed Central PMC11359571.
  5. Akiyama, MJ, Khudyakov, Y, Ramachandran, S, Riback, LR, Ackerman, M, Nyakowa, M et al.. Widespread hepatitis C virus transmission network among people who inject drugs in Kenya. Int J Infect Dis. 2024;147 :107215. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107215. PubMed PMID:39182826 PubMed Central PMC11531246.
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