Dr. Connie Ongeti, a senior radiologist at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), has secured a prestigious international research grant to lead a groundbreaking study focused on stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease.
She received this award from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), standing out among a select group of successful applicants from thousands of submissions worldwide in a highly competitive process.
This grant specifically supports early-career researchers embarking on 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 (TCD) for Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Low-Resource Settings,” will take place at the Kisumu-based national referral hospital.
The study aims to fill a critical void in the management of sickle cell disease, where stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability in affected children.
“Stroke poses a significant risk for children with sickle cell disease,” Dr. Ongeti stated, noting that her clinical experiences with these patients have fueled her passion for this research.
In high-income countries, healthcare providers routinely use Transcranial Doppler ultrasound to identify children at risk of stroke and to inform preventive treatment. However, this essential screening remains largely unavailable in many developing nations.
Dr. Ongeti’s study will investigate the feasibility of utilizing portable, point-of-care devices to enhance access to screening in low-resource settings while identifying barriers to its routine implementation.
She will collaborate with pediatrician Dr. Joy Muyonga and Kisumu County Department of Health official Dr. Dickens Onyango, with the goal of developing a scalable model for stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease.
This award coincides with the hospital’s Department of Research and Training efforts to strengthen staff capabilities in grant writing and research.
Through mentorship and capacity-building initiatives, JOOTRH, which was upgraded to a level 6A National Referral Hospital last year, aims to encourage more health workers to pursue competitive international funding opportunities.
The RSTMH program ranks among the most competitive globally, receiving over 3,500 applications in 2025 alone.
Dr. Ongeti’s achievement marks a significant milestone for JOOTRH, enhancing its reputation as a regional hub for specialized care and medical research.
