The number of older adults in Kenya is growing rapidly and this trend will continue over the coming decades. The Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK) aims to collect and disseminate national data to characterize and respond to economic and health-related challenges associated with an ageing population. Through informing public health and policy, LOSHAK aims to improve health, economic circumstances, and wellbeing, while serving as a model for studying population ageing in Sub-Saharan Africa.
LOSHAK is a joint collaboration between the Department of Population Health at Aga Khan University, Kenya and the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at University of Michigan, USA. It is modeled on the U.S.-based Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its measures are harmonized with the HRS its family of studies in more than 45 countries across the globe. The study will address pressing health, policy, and economic issues that are of rapidly growing importance in Kenya and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.