Eliud Wekesa

PhD in Demography/Population Studies Candidate

Contact details:

London School of Economics
Department of Social policy
Houghton street
London
WC2A 2AE

Email: E.Wekesa@lse.ac.uk

Background

Eliud Wekesa is a PhD candidate in Demography/ Population Studies in the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He holds an MSc in Population and Development (2007) from the LSE, an MA in Anthropology (2002) and BA in Anthropology (1995) both from the University of Nairobi. From 2000 to 2006 he worked with the African Population and Health Research as a Research Assistant on the Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) project in Nairobi Urban slums. He has also previously worked as field interviewer, questionnaire editor and field supervisor for a number of international NGOs and government agencies in Kenya.

Academic and Research Interests

HIV/AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Fertility, Family planning, Medication use and adherence, sub-Saharan Africa, Urbanisation.

PhD Research

The research seeks to explore the sexual and reproductive health behaviour of People living with HIV/AIDs (PLWHA) in Nairobi slums, Kenya. This doctoral study uses a mixed methods approach to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative data related to sexual behaviour, fertility intentions and contraceptive use among PLWHA in the context of ARV treatment and urban poverty. 

The research is supervised by Dr Ernestina Coast (with secondary support from Dr Hakan Seckinelgin and funded by the Wellcome Trust.  Additional funding has been awarded by the London School of Economics.

Presentations (Academic)

Wekesa , E and E. Coast  (2010) “Just like a taste of water which is too little to quench the thirst”: condom use among people living with HIV/AIDS in Nairobi urban slums, paper  presented at the 9^th International Conference on Urban  Health (ICUH), New York 27^th –29^th October.

 Wekesa, E and E. Coast (2009) “For ever and ever amen”: facilitators of adherence to ART in Nairobi Urban Informal settlements, paper presented at the 8^th International Conference on Urban  Health  (ICUH), Nairobi, Kenya. 18^th –23^rd October

 Wekesa, E and E. Coast (2009) “Adherence to antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive adults: the stigma-disclosure-social support nexus in two Kenyan slum settlements” poster presented at the XX1 IUSSP International Population Conference, Marrakech, 27^th Sept 2^nd October 

 Wekesa , E (2007) “ART adherence in resource poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa: a multidisciplinary review, poster presented at the 5^th African Population Conference, Arusha, Tanzania 10^th -15^th  December.

Policy presentations

Wekesa, E 2011 " Another burden to bear: The unmet need for family planning among HIV positive people in Nairobi slums", policy presentation, Washington DC, 29-30^th March.

 Wekesa, E 2010 " Condom use among HIV-positive men and women in Nairobi urban slums: Implications for HIV prevention", policy presentation, Washington DC, 16^th -18^th June

Publications

Izugbara, Chimaraoke and Eliud Wekesa. 2011. Beliefs and practices about antiretroviral medication: a study of poor urban Kenyans living with HIV/AIDS. Sociology of Health & Illness 33 (6):869-883.

Membership to professional organisations

International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP)

Population Association of America (PAA)

Union for African Population Studies (UAPS)

Grants and awards

Dates: 19/09/2008-18/09/2010

Details: Wellcome Trust PhD Training and Research Fellowship (£98,860)

Dates: 19/09/2006-18/09/2008

Details: Wellcome Trust Masters Training and Research Fellowship (£53, 255)

 Dates: June 2010- May 2011.