Speaker's Profile

Violet Murunga is a Research and Policy Analyst at the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), where she has been since 2011. Violet has over 15 years in public health research and practice including championing and strengthening capacity for knowledge translation (KT) and evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in Africa and globally. Violet has expertise in designing, managing, monitoring and evaluating KT and EIDM projects, conducting policy analyses, political economy analyses, research impact assessments and systematic rapid reviews, packaging and communicating evidence using various policy and media engagement strategies including organising dialogues and evidence-based advocacy and strengthening the KT and EIDM capacity of policymakers, researchers, civil society organisations, media and their institutions.

Violet leads/has led a wide range of KT/EIDM projects/ activities including assessments of EIDM contexts (Gender data and decision-making project), EIDM capacity strengthening projects targeting Ministries of Health, Parliaments and research institutions in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda and also research consortia (e.g., in partnership with LSTM) and evaluating EIDM initiatives/ research impact studies (SECURE Health, HIGH-Res projects and Global Challenges Research Fund).

Violet is currently leading the EIDM capacity strengthening project Learning Together to Advance Evidence and Equity in Policymaking to achieve the SDGs (LEEPS). The project is championing and strengthening capacity for KT and EIDM among policymakers, researchers and other key actors in reproductive health and clean energy sectors at country level (in Kenya and Nigeria) and through regional networks and convenings. The project is also explicitly integrating gender equity and inclusion concepts and tools in KT and EIDM processes and capacity strengthening.

Her work through the project enSURE Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (2013-2017), co-created with the Kenya Ministry of Health Division of Reproductive Health, improved performance monitoring of and policies, actions and investments addressing adolescent (10-19 years) contraceptive, pregnancy and post abortion services and pregnancy related deaths at national and sub-national level. The project supported adolescent age disaggregation of reproductive and maternal health indicators reported in the Kenya health information systems (KHIS); rolled out in 2016. The project also produced county adolescent sexual and reproductive health factsheets that were used to contextualise the 2015 Kenya National ASRH policy into county ASRH strategies.

Violet has contributed to KT/EIDM discourse and the growth of the KT/EIDM field in Africa and globally. Her PhD (2022) generated evidence on how the interplay between individual, institutional and systems level factors shape the knowledge translation capacity and practice of researchers in Africa. She has published papers focusing on LMIC researchers’ KT capacity, practice, and support; factors influencing family planning decisions; factors influencing research uptake and policy implementation. She has also participated and served on various committees, working groups, and panels including the expert committee that is advising the UKCDR Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF 2021) evaluation and Abstract Review Committee for the 2018 and 2023 Africa Evidence Network Conferences. Violet holds a Ph.D. (Research Uptake) from the University of Liverpool, UK, a Master of Public Health (Epidemiology) from Florida International University, US and a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) from the University of Newcastle, Australia.

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