HEARD activities in this area include: 1. Establishment of an inclusive collaboration in East Africa to identify urban health priorities and studies; 2. Leveraging of research studies to advance the urban nutrition and WASH agenda in the region; 3. Execution of an implementation science approach that included a stakeholder-engaged stdy design with wide utility; 4. Share process results and findings; 5. Enable implementation science advocacy and capacity development among partners.

In alignment with the implementation science strategy for urban health, the collaboration implemented two parallel processes: the policy/advocacy stakeholder engagement process and the research process. To learn more about policy and stakeholder engagement activities, visit the timeline and read more about informing policy and practice. The following describes the first research activity:

The first study undertaken by the Implementation Science Collaboration on Urban Health in East Africa is the Three-Country Assessment of Nutrition and WASH Vulnerabilities Among the Urban Poor in East Africa. The assessment used desk review and case study methodology to identify and synthesize literature, polices, available data, strategies, partners, platforms, and contextual factors influencing child and adolescent health in poor urban areas of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The country teams each used a similar design to allow for a cross-country synthesis of findings, which was guided by the UNICEF framework for undernutrition (see below). While the situation differed across countries, there was a general dearth of urban-specific policies, data, evidence, and relatively few interventions targeting nutrition/WASH among poor populations. To learn more, see the cross-country briefs on this page.

For country specific information, please use the links below: