Category Archives: Public Health

Leadership development is most meaningful when the knowledge and skills gained are shared with others. Following my participation in the ASCEND Leadership Program, I was pleased to organise a virtual knowledge-sharing session together with my fellow ASCEND colleagues, Erick Omondi and Elizabeth Nyaberi, to share some of the lessons and practical tools we gained withContinue reading “From Learning to Sharing: Bringing the ASCEND Experience to Young Tobacco Control Advocates in Kenya”

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Kenya Stakeholders’ Forum to Strengthen Tobacco Control Data and Engagement, a meeting that brought together stakeholders to examine some of the issues shaping tobacco control in Kenya. For me, the forum was more than another meeting about tobacco control. It was an opportunity to reflect on anContinue reading “What Kenya’s Tobacco Control Data Are Telling Us: We Need Stronger Taxes, Better Enforcement and Evidence-Based Action”

What happens when resources are collected in the name of public health, but the public cannot clearly see the health impact of those resources? This was one of the questions that stayed with me after participating in a roundtable discussion on the Strategic Utilization of Kenya’s Solatium Fund for Health Financing and Tobacco Control, convenedContinue reading “Tobacco Control Funds Must Deliver for Public Health: Lessons from Kenya’s Solatium Fund Roundtable”

When we talk about obesity, the conversation often focuses on individual responsibility: eat healthier, exercise more and maintain a healthy weight. But how much choice do people really have when the environment around them makes unhealthy choices easier, cheaper, more accessible and more heavily promoted? This was one of the questions I reflected on duringContinue reading “Creating Healthier Food Environments: Why Kenya Must Act on Obesity Prevention”

This week I had the opportunity to participate in the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Integrating Gender Considerations into Tobacco and Health Taxation Policies, organized by the National Taxpayers Association (NTA). The dialogue brought together stakeholders to examine an issue that deserves greater attention in tobacco control: how gender considerations can be meaningfully integrated into tobacco andContinue reading “Why Gender Must Be Part of the Conversation on Tobacco Taxation”

About a month after participating in the Tobacco Industry Monitoring, Research and Accountability (TIMRA2026) training hosted by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, I had the opportunity to put those lessons into practice by training youth tobacco control advocates in Kenya. The training took place during the Youth Champions Training onContinue reading “From Bath to Nairobi: Sharing TIMRA2026 Skills with Kenya’s Youth Tobacco Control Advocates”

The fifth and final day of the Ascend Fellowship marked the culmination of an intensive week of learning, collaboration, and leadership development. It was a day dedicated to hearing from experienced tobacco control professionals, showcasing the work each group had developed throughout the fellowship, and reflecting on the journey we had shared together. While theContinue reading “Day 5 at #Ascend2026: Strengthening Leadership, Building Partnerships, and Looking Ahead”

The fourth day of the Ascend Fellowship shifted our focus from analysing problems to communicating solutions. Having spent the previous days identifying key tobacco control constraints, exploring their root causes, mapping stakeholders, and gathering field evidence, it was now time to learn how to transform that work into messages capable of influencing change. The day’sContinue reading “Day 4 at #Ascend2026: Harnessing Storytelling and Strategic Communication for Tobacco Control”

The third day of the Ascend Fellowship demonstrated how effective tobacco control extends beyond understanding problems—it requires identifying root causes, engaging the right stakeholders, using research to inform policy, and documenting real-world realities to inspire change. Building on the leadership and systems-thinking concepts introduced during the previous two days, Day Three challenged us to translateContinue reading “Day 3 at #Ascend2026: Turning Evidence into Action Through Systems Thinking and Photovoice”

The second day of the Ascend Fellowship built upon the leadership foundations established on Day One by focusing on practical approaches to strengthening tobacco control. Through systems thinking, policy analysis, litigation, and cultural exchange, the day demonstrated that advancing public health requires strategic action across multiple fronts. Identifying the Weakest Link The day began withContinue reading “Day 2 at #Ascend2026: Strengthening Tobacco Control Through Systems Thinking, Litigation, and Collaboration”