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Dorothy Oluoch: Continuity of care for preterms

Dorothy Oluoch is a medical anthropologist researching maternal and newborn health. Her RESPECT study explored women’s experiences in hospital care for small and sick newborns, identifying gaps to improve quality of care. Her work amplifies mothers’ voices and informs policies to reduce neonatal mortality and promote respectful, patient-centred health systems.

My name is Dorothy Oluoch. I'm a Medical Anthropologist. I am a social science post-doctoral researcher at the KEMRI Wellcome Trust. My area of research is on maternal and newborn health, so I basically look at women's journeys through pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery. 

A recent research project that I have conducted is the RESPECT study. In this study, we were looking at women's experiences within hospital care for small and sick newborns, and this was important in terms of informing us on where the gaps were and what needs to be done to improve quality of care.

The biggest question in my field right now could be how do we accelerate progress in terms of reduction of neonatal mortalities. So, the sustainable development goals have set a target of reducing the neonatal mortalities to below 12 per 1000 life births. Looking at LMICs and Kenya as an example, we still have a long way to go. So, looking into how we can reach or bridge that gap in neonatal mortalities.

My work makes a difference for patients because I primarily focus on the experiences of the mothers. So, this provides a platform for those voices to be heard in different spaces, starting from within hospital settings but also at policy levels. In that way, they get an opportunity to engage in workshops that bring together policy makers, but also healthcare workers, to determine how we shape and how we improve quality of care.

My line of work matters. One, because it's a first step towards shifting the care models from biomedical models, to an approach that is more holistic. So, looking at the needs of the of the patients, and making sure that we develop care that is responsive to the needs of the patients. Secondly, it contributes to the WHO attempts to improve quality of care, and experiences of care is a core domain of improvement strategies, particularly looking at things to do with communication. How do we better provide emotional support to mothers, and how do we provide respectful care? So, my work then contributes to bringing out the voices in these three critical domains.

This interview was recorded in September 2025.

Dorothy Oluoch

Dorothy is a medical anthropologist researching maternal and newborn health.

Translational Medicine

From bench to bedside

Ultimately, medical research must translate into improved treatments for patients. Our researchers collaborate to develop better health care, improved quality of life, and enhanced preventative measures for all patients. Our findings in the laboratory are translated into changes in clinical practice, from bench to bedside.