Olivia Ogoma is a registered nurse and midwife in Kenya. As a nurse leader, she is currently serving as chair of the County National Nurses Association and a member of the National Executive Council. Additionally, she is a program officer coordinating child and adolescent health services at the sub-county level. Olivia served as a research coordinator in the Kenya Medical Training Centre, helping to educate Kenya Regional Community Health Nurse students. With more than 25 years of experience in clinical nursing and education programs, Olivia aims to transform nursing and midwifery education and leadership through acquired knowledge and skills. She has worked with health ministries in Kenya leading child and adolescent health programs, providing technical support to various NGOs on the big three agenda: reducing teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence. Olivia earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Jomo Kenyatta University and leadership certificates from the African Medical and Research Foundation and the Kenya School of Government.
Applied Project Title: Roving Provider Initiative: An Intervention to Improve Access to Family Planning among Youth and Adolescents in Migori County
Teenage pregnancy, births and their associated negative outcomes remain serious problems in many countries, including Kenya. In rural Migori County, approximately 24% of girls aged 15-19 have begun childbearing. Access to family planning plays a critical role in mitigating teen pregnancies and maternal mortality, but only about 17% of adolescents in Migori County use these methods. This project examined strategies to increase the availability and accessibility of a wide range of family planning services for young people, meeting the need to prevent, space and reduce pregnancy in this age group. Intervention strategies include a roving provider service to make access to family planning more convenient, and a WhatsApp platform where adolescents could call providers directly, securely, and discreetly.