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Item type: Item , Access status: Metadata only , African Cities Are Diverse and Thriving, But Face Many Challenges(The conversation, 2026) Mberu, B.; Nsoesie , E. OAfrica is undergoing rapid urbanization, reshaping the continent's social, economic, and public health landscape at an unprecedented scale. Drawing on the newly published book Urban Health in Africa, this article reframes African cities as diverse, dynamic, and resilient environments rather than sites of deficit alone. The piece synthesizes evidence on how urbanization intersects with health inequities, overburdened health systems, and the growing burden of both infectious and non-communicable diseases, particularly among residents of informal settlements who constitute the majority of urban populations in sub-Saharan Africa. It also highlights community-level innovation and adaptive capacity as underutilized assets in urban health responses. The article argues that building healthier African cities requires evidence-based urban planning, inclusive governance, and structural investments that address the social determinants of health. It calls on researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners to adopt community-centered, co-produced approaches as the foundation for equitable and sustainable urban futures on the continent.Item type: Item , Access status: Metadata only , Digitization A Game Changer in Humanitarian Services and Research: Lessons from the Jengu Handwashing Study in Daadab(APHRC, 2026) Akeyo, D.A.; Ndonye, S.M.; Tumwebaze, I.K.Crisis-affected populations in refugee settlements face elevated risks of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and respiratory infections, making hygiene promotion a critical public health priority. This paper documents lessons from the integration of digital tools into the Jengu Handwashing Study conducted in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in northeastern Kenya. The Jengu handwashing facility was co-created through a partnership involving APHRC, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the British Red Cross, and the engineering firm Arup, using an iterative, human-centered design process that incorporated direct community input. Digitization of data collection enabled real-time monitoring, reduced transcription errors, and improved coordination across dispersed field sites. Key lessons highlight the importance of staff digital literacy, adapting tools to low-bandwidth environments, and protecting data privacy for vulnerable populations. The paper provides actionable recommendations for researchers and humanitarian organizations seeking to leverage digital technologies to improve research quality and service delivery in emergency settings across sub-Saharan Africa.Item type: Item , Access status: Metadata only , Co-Developing Community- Based Interventions: Lessons from a Handwashing Initiative in Low-Income Areas of Mombasa, Kenya(APHRC, 2026) Simiyu, S.; Busienei, P.Sustained handwashing behavior change in low-income urban settings requires context-sensitive interventions that go beyond generic health messaging. This paper describes the development of a community-based handwashing with soap intervention in the Kisauni Sub-County of Mombasa, Kenya, implemented between September 2023 and June 2024 as part of the broader RECKITT study. Using the Trials of Improved Practices methodology, the study engaged 56 randomly selected participants alongside community health promoters, local leaders, and households to co-design contextually appropriate strategies. Activities included household visits, community dialogue sessions, and practical demonstrations targeting identified barriers to handwashing. By the close of the intervention development phase, over 70% of participating compounds had established dedicated handwashing facilities and reported improved practices. The paper draws lessons on the value of participatory co-design, the facilitative role of community health promoters, and the scalability of community-led hygiene models in low-income urban Africa.Item type: Item , Access status: Metadata only , Assessing The Validity and Reliability of Geotracking Devices in Urban Settings of Nairobi, Kenya(Science Direct, 2026) Kakou, D. I.; Busienei, P.; Baker, K. K.; Gaire, S.; Sewell, D. K.Geotracking devices offer significant potential for capturing individual mobility patterns and linking them to health-relevant environmental exposures, yet their accuracy in complex urban environments remains insufficiently evaluated. This study assessed the validity and reliability of geotracking devices across multiple urban microenvironments in Nairobi, Kenya, including high-density informal settlements, central business districts, and peri-urban areas. Using structured protocols, the research evaluated positional accuracy, signal continuity, and test-retest reliability under both controlled and real-world conditions. Results show that device performance varies considerably across built environments, with densely structured informal settlements presenting the greatest challenges to accurate signal capture. The findings offer practical guidance on device selection, study design adaptations, and analytical strategies to account for measurement error, contributing to methodological rigor in spatial epidemiological research in low- and middle-income country urban settings.Item type: Item , Access status: Metadata only , Peer Review: A Strategic Edge for Winning High-Value Health Research Grants(APHRC, 2026) Mbuyi, M.; Ochieng, P.; Kayira, S.Securing high-value health research grants requires more than sound science it demands rigorous proposal development processes, including structured peer review. This article reflects on the experiences of researchers at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), where strong proposals have at times failed at the screening stage due to misalignment with donor remits and the absence of adequate internal peer review. Peer review is defined as a structured, objective evaluation of a proposal by a multidisciplinary team that helps identify weaknesses, gaps, and misalignments that proposal authors may overlook. APHRC's Research Governance Framework (RGF) already mandates that all proposals undergo scientific review by at least two peer reviewers with relevant expertise before submission, and that proposals be submitted for review at least two weeks before the funder's deadline. The article argues that peer review should be embedded as a core institutional practice and competitive advantage, helping researchers address common causes of proposal rejection such as poor alignment with funder goals, weak methodology, unrealistic budgets, and lack of innovation. It also acknowledges that proposal success depends on a broader ecosystem of factors beyond institutional control, including shifting donor strategies, competitive funding ratios, and geopolitical considerations. The Business Development team at APHRC is positioned to mainstream peer review into proposal pipelines, develop simplified review templates, and generate data-driven evidence of the value peer review adds to grant success rates.