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
- Roberts, ST, Otticha, S, Browne, EN, Bann, C, Nyblade, L, Hartmann, M et al.. Measuring Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Stigma Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Western Kenya: Scale Development, Validation, and Associations with PrEP Adherence. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2025;39 (8):323-338. doi: 10.1177/10872914251361105. PubMed PMID:40711412 PubMed Central PMC12490956.
- Kohler, P, Jiang, W, Badia, J, Kibugi, J, Dyer, J, Kadima, J et al.. Data-informed Stepped Care (DiSC) to improve adolescent and young adult HIV care outcomes in Kenya: a cluster randomized trial. J Int AIDS Soc. 2025;28 Suppl 3 (Suppl 3):e26501. doi: 10.1002/jia2.26501. PubMed PMID:40622356 PubMed Central PMC12232485.
- Ochieng', LA, Onyango, J, Owuor, GO, Obare, I, Ochillo, M, Odwar, T et al.. Saving for a rainy day: piloting a savings intervention to reduce HIV risk among young female sex workers in Kenya. Afr J AIDS Res. 2025;24 (1-2):76-80. doi: 10.2989/16085906.2025.2465535. PubMed PMID:40384153 .
- Chhun, N, Mangale, DI, Agot, K, Owade, WA, Kadima, J, Badia, J et al.. Determinants of implementation of a stepped care intervention for adolescents and youth living with HIV in Kenya: a qualitative evaluation. BMC Health Serv Res. 2025;25 (1):702. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12875-7. PubMed PMID:40369586 PubMed Central PMC12079965.
- Agot, K, Ayieko, BO, Sheira, LA, Camlin, CS, Kulzer, J, Thirumurthy, H et al.. High mortality among fishermen along the beaches of lake Victoria: secondary analysis of evidence from a randomized control trial to promote HIV testing and services uptake in Siaya County, Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2025;25 (1):1630. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22830-0. PubMed PMID:40316987 PubMed Central PMC12046724.