Evonne Mwangale Kiptinness possesses years of experience in practicing development communication, having worked for organizations such as Food and Agriculture Organization and the Global Plan for the elimination of new HIV infections and keeping mothers alive.
On a broad level, my research examines how communication can be used to support positive behavior change in income and access disadvantaged communities. I recently concluded research on the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, administered through interpersonal communication, to support the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Kenya.
My project, involving low-income HIV positive expectant women, demonstrated high levels of HIV stigma prompting the need for HIV dialogue at local level. The findings further revealed the need to equip HIV mentors with communication skills to better communicate messages to their clients. In addition, other research focused on the framing of communicable diseases such as COVID-19 and HIV in East African Media. Each of these projects involved developing long-term relationships with community stakeholders, including study participants, in research design and recruitment.
In terms of research methodology, I am familiar with qualitative and quantitative research methods, oftentimes preferring a mixed-method approach to data collection. I have conducted, community-based surveys; online questionnaires; interviews and focus groups. In my work with HIV positive pregnant women in Kenya, I conducted a quasi-experiment using pre and post questionnaires and a cognitive behavioral intervention through focus groups.
