A senior radiologist at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has won a prestigious international research grant to lead a study on stroke prevention among children living with sickle cell disease.

Dr Connie Ongeti secured the award from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), emerging among a small pool of successful applicants worldwide in a highly competitive call that attracted thousands of submissions.

The grant targets early-career researchers undertaking their first independent studies in global health and tropical medicine.

Dr Ongeti’s research titled, Feasibility of Stroke Prevention through Routine Point-of-Care Transcranial Doppler for Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Low-Resource Settings, will be conducted at the Kisumu-based national referral hospital.

The study seeks to address a critical gap in the management of sickle cell disease, where stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability among children.

  “Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability among children who suffer from sickle cell disease,” Dr Ongeti said, adding that her interest in the topic was shaped by her clinical experience with affected patients.

Dr Ongeti said in high-income countries, Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is routinely used to identify children at risk of stroke and guide preventive treatment.  However, the screening is not widely available in many developing countries.

The study, she said, will examine the feasibility of using portable, point-of-care devices to expand access to screening in low-resource settings and identify barriers to routine use.

She added that the research will be carried out in collaboration with paediatrician Joy Muyonga and Kisumu County Department of Health Officer Dickens Onyango to develop a scalable model for stroke prevention in children with sickle cell.

The award comes amid efforts by the hospital’s Department of Research and Training to build capacity among staff in grant writing and research.

Through mentorship and capacity building, the hospital which was last year upgraded to a level 6A National Referral Hospital targets to have more health workers apply for competitive international funding.

The RSTMH programme is among the most competitive globally and attracted more than 3,500 applications in 2025 alone.

Dr Ongeti’s success is seen as a boost to JOOTRH’s growing profile as a regional centre for specialised care and medical research.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara