Prof. Fredrick Were Defends His Higher Doctorate Degree
September 17, 2021
Prof. Fredrick Namenya Were defended his Doctorate of Science (D.Sc) on Friday, September 17, 2021 at Taifa Hall from 2:00 pm. The blended event attracted thousands of viewers online.
The thesis titled, ‘Impact of Health Systems Research on the support of Inpatient Paediatric Services in Kenya’s Primary and Referral Hospitals’ synthesizes research (and publications) which begun with the establishment of the status of health systems supporting in-patient care (in 2002) followed by innovative interventions to correct deficits (2005-2020) and ending with a series of evaluations establishing the impact of the said interventions.
“Prof. Were will be 7th to graduate with a Higher Doctorate Degree in the University of Nairobi,” noted Prof. Stephen Kiama, UoN Vice Chancellor while reading Prof. Were’s citation.
“Professor Frederick Namenya Were was born on 30 August 1958, in Busia County and later undertook his primary school education at Nambale (Busia) and Nabakholo (Kakamega) Primary Schools. He later completed his O and A levels in Butula Secondary School and Kericho High School respectively. He joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery in 1978 and he has not left the University since completing a Masters in Medicine (Paediatrics) and a Doctorate within the same field and becoming a member of the teaching staff. He was also a Fellow of Neonatal Intensive Care at the Monash Medical Centre in Australia.
His career has been a combination of contributing to medical practice, research, and the education of young medical practitioners. He has been a lecturer at the University of Nairobi since 1994, and through the span of over 25 years within the University he has become a Professor of Perinatal and Neonatal medicine, the Dean of Medicine and the Acting Principal for the College of Health Sciences. His role as an academic extends to Aga Khan University where he is an adjunct professor. He has taught both undergraduate and masters students and supervised 50 masters’ theses and 5 doctoral ones.
Newborn medicine and health systems have been two central points around which Professor Were’s research has focused beginning with his Masters’ thesis on “Factors associated with growth faltering at Mathare North Clinic”, Doctorate in Long Term Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight finally culminating in this higher doctoral thesis on “How Can Health Systems Research Support In-Patient Paediatric Services in Kenya’s Primary Referral Hospitals?”. In the 30 years between these two theses he has completed 92 research driven publications, 17 book chapters, 62 conference abstracts and 12 policy documents. These publications have increased knowledge and awareness around the interaction between newborn health and public health systems.”
Prof. Were noted that Health Systems Research is “a multidisciplinary field of health research which studies governance, financial and delivery arrangements for health care and public health services”. It includes implementation considerations for reforming or strengthening these arrangements, and broader economic, legal, political and social contexts in which these arrangements are negotiated and operate.
Prof. Were took the audience through the evolution of Health Systems Research since 1950s and its sub-theme definitions of Management Science, Implementation Science, Delivery Science, Improvement Science and Operational Research.
The overall aim of these research programs was to initiate a culture of Health Systems Research as a tool for enhancement of better child health and survival.
On Presentation of his findings; Prof.Were categorised Performance Indicators based on WHO building blocks; Governance and Leadership, Service Delivery Quality, Health Information Systems, Human Resources for Health, Medical Products and Technologies.
Read the Public defence presentation
