Elected: 2018
Country (Nationality)
Kenya
Discipline
Medical & Health Sciences
Bio
Kawango Agot is a Kenyan research scientist. She obtained her PhD and MPH from the University of Washington, Seattle and proceeded to coordinate the trial on male circumcision for HIV prevention at the Kisumu site, Kenya. She then led community engagement activities to obtain buy-in for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). The organization she founded – IRDO (Impact, Research, and Development Organization) – has provided over 600,000 male circumcisions to date. In addition to VMMC trials and studies, Dr. Agot has conducted multiple studies on various topics, including on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), multipurpose technologies (MPT) and HIV self-testing. She has worked with other colleagues to explore and promote the concept of secondary distribution of HIV self-tests (HIVST) to promote partner testing and inform sexual decisions. She is studying the impact of HIVST on enrollment of female sex workers into HIV prevention programs and optimal ways of promoting testing among adolescent girls and young women.