Director/CEO- Impact Research and Development Organization, Kisumu, Kenya

Dr. Kawango Agot, MPH, PhD, is a Kenyan research scientist who obtained her PhD and MPH concurrently from the University of Washington, Seattle, then proceeded to coordinate the ground-breaking trial on medical male circumcision for HIV prevention at the Kisumu site, western Kenya. She has conducted multiple studies on various topics, including pre-exposure prophylaxis, multipurpose technologies, HIV self-testing, optimizing HIV care outcomes among adolescents and young adults living with HIV, and improving savings as a strategy to reduce spending on transactional sex and alcohol, among others. She also runs community-based HIV, Malaria and TB prevention programs. She is currently setting up her site for COVID-19 drug and vaccine trials. Dr. Kawango also founded Nyanza Initiative for Girls Education and Empowerment (NIGEE) as a give-back outfit; NIGEE raises funds locally to return to school girls who dropped out mainly due to pregnancy, early marriage or female genital mutilation.
Publications
- Ochillo, M, Bosire, R, Okeyo, N, Onyango, J, Agot, K, Chhun, N et al.. Health promotion messaging reduces HIV risk behaviours and improves repeat testing among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya. Afr J AIDS Res. 2025; :1-6. doi: 10.2989/16085906.2025.2474751. PubMed PMID:40259692 .
- Adede, DO, Sheira, LA, Gutin, SA, Ochung, A, Ayieko, B, Olugo, P et al.. Comparing PrEP adherence via objective and self-reported measures among fishermen working on Lake Victoria, Kenya. AIDS Care. 2025; :1-9. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2025.2484312. PubMed PMID:40238797 .
- Roberts, ST, Minnis, AM, Napierala, S, Montgomery, ET, Digolo, L, Cottrell, ML et al.. Evaluation of the Tu'Washindi Na PrEP Intervention to Reduce Gender-Based Violence and Increase Preexposure Prophylaxis Uptake and Adherence Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025;14 :e55931. doi: 10.2196/55931. PubMed PMID:40168655 PubMed Central PMC12000790.
- Camlin, CS, Sheira, LA, Kwena, ZA, Charlebois, ED, Agot, K, Moody, J et al.. The effect of a social network-based intervention to promote HIV testing and linkage to HIV services among fishermen in Kenya: a cluster-randomised trial. Lancet Glob Health. 2025;13 (4):e669-e678. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00539-4. PubMed PMID:40155104 .
- Olugo, P, Nishimura, H, Thorp, M, Lewis-Kulzer, J, Ayieko, B, Agot, K et al.. Misconceptions and limited experience with HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among fishermen in Western Kenya: a qualitative study. AIDS Care. 2025; :1-10. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2025.2480149. PubMed PMID:40131995 .