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Amref Institutional Repository
Welcome to the Amref Institutional Repository (IR) — a digital platform dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing Amref’s rich body of knowledge and research outputs. The Repository serves as a vital tool for safeguarding the organization’s intellectual legacy, ensuring long-term digital preservation, and promoting open access to scholarly communication across the public health and development community.
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Reconfiguring retention: a qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of female nurses in an arid rural setting in Turkana County, Kenya
(Global Health Action, 2026-12-21) Sif Sofie Vange; Mathilde Vraa-Jensen; Micah Matiang'i
Background: Retention is especially critical in rural and underserved areas of East Africa, such as Turkana County in Kenya, where resource limitations, harsh conditions, and a lack of professional development opportunities deter nurses from staying. In addition, female nurses face unique challenges shaped by systemic inequities and gendered expectations, influencing their retention.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing retention of female nurses in Turkana and to offer new perspectives on the concept of retention from underserved regions in East Africa.
Methods: This quasi-ethnographic study was conducted in an arid rural setting in Turkana, in 2024. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 female nurses and 8 local health administrators and through participant observations at 4 health facilities. We used thematic network analysis guided by an abductive approach.
Results: Female nurses in Turkana navigate a paradox of staff shortages alongside high unemployment, leaving many feeling stuck in occupational limbo or permanent liminality, hoping, and working toward better opportunities for themselves and their families. Although the motivation to work as nurses persists, challenging working conditions lead many to aspire to migrate abroad.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the complex interplay of local and global dynamics driving retention of female nurses in Turkana. Perceived workforce stability is largely due to immobility caused by limited alternatives and systemic constraints. This immobility masks dissatisfaction, making the healthcare system in Turkana vulnerable to outmigration. Findings highlight the need for holistic, gender-sensitive policies that enhance rural career pathways for female nurses.
Professional Education in Sexology in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Continental Survey
(Taylor & Francis Group, LLC., 2026-06-13) Smith, Anthony,; Rotich, Tammary,; Khisa, Elizabeth Lucy Nabwile,; Idowu, Oluwasegun C.,; Ramlachan, Prithy
Background: Sexology as a clinical and professional discipline remains underdeveloped in Sub-Saharan Africa, where formal education is limited and fragmented. Existing training typically focuses on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, with little attention to broader sexual health issues such as dysfunction, diversity, and psychosexual wellbeing. This neglect is likely to contribute to persistent unmet needs and stigma surrounding sexual health care across the region. This paper examines Sub-Saharan Africa as part of a wider study on professional education and training in sexology.
Methods: This mixed-methods study combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine current education in sexology. The Global Survey on Professional Education in Clinical Sexology (GLOPES) was distributed via professional networks in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries, yielding 28 responses. Additionally, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians and educators in Clinical Sexology, to provide exploratory insights into training gaps, barriers and opportunities. Quantitative data described existing curricula, accreditation processes, and institutional
structures, while qualitative analysis identified thematic challenges and innovations.
Results: A total of 28 responses were received from 11 Sub-Saharan African countries. The majority of responses were from South Africa, contributing nearly half of all responses, 14 (48%). Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, and the DRC each contributed two responses, while Gabon, Guinea,
Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe each contributed one. Findings revealed deficits in curriculum standardization, accreditation pathways, and postgraduate opportunities. Educational content is often dispersed across gynecology, psychiatry, and urology, lacking a cohesive framework.
Interviews highlighted stigma, political and religious sensitivities, limited institutional ownership, and resource constraints alongside examples of emerging regional initiatives.
Discussion: Participants emphasized the need for expanded, standardized, and culturally appropriate sexology education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Priorities include curriculum development, accreditation mechanisms, faculty training, and policy engagement to strengthen professional
recognition. Regional collaboration and innovative delivery models may help address current gaps and resource limitations. Sustainable education frameworks are essential to improving sexual health in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Taylor and Francis Ebooks Acess
(Amref International University, 2026-06) Kanyotu, Sylvia
This video provides instruction on accessing e-books on Taylor and Francis E-books Database through Amref International University Library.