Patience Afulani, PhD, MD, MPH
My research focuses on the social and health system factors underlying disparities in reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH). I am particularly interested in how RMNCH outcomes are shaped by quality of care in health facilities as well as by social determinants. I also seek to contribute to improved measurement of quality of care, particularly person-centered care, and to the development of evidence-based interventions to improve RMNCH outcomes and reduce disparities.
My current projects include developing an intervention to improve person-centered maternity care (PCMC) in Kenya with a focus on provider stress and unconscious bias; examining drivers of poor PCMC in Ghana; adaptation of the PCMC scale for women of color in California; and examining healthcare workers' perceived preparedness for COVID-19 and associated factors in Ghana and Kenya.
My PhD dissertation examined sources of disparities in quality of antenatal care and how this affects use of skilled birth attendants and birth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. My post-doctoral work focused on measurement of person-centered maternity care; research into sources of disparities in PCMC and barriers to providing PCMC; and design and evaluation of interventions to improve quality of care including PCMC — in Kenya, Ghana, and India. I have also conducted research on the health and reproductive behavior of migrants from Africa, and on the consequences of food insecurity in the United States.
I obtained my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Ghana Medical School, and an MPH with a certificate in Global Health and a PhD in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles. I also completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the Preterm Birth Initiative at UCSF.
