Public health

We have experience in nutrition and food security, maternal health, access to care, sexual and reproductive health, child development.

An enumerator interviews a participant for the SPIR endline in Ethiopia

Our work in public health

Laterite’s portfolio includes impact evaluations, desk-based assessments and landscape analysis, as well as large mixed-methods research projects involving thousands of households. We have experience in complex data collection instruments such as anthropometric measurements and screening for stunting and malnutrition, environmental monitoring, and child development assessments.

Examples of work

Mental health

Laterite was the data collection partner for IFPRI’s evaluation of the group Problem Management plus (gPM+) intervention in Ethiopia, designed to address mental health problems such as depression, stress or anxiety.

Maternal health

We are working with KEMRI in Kenya on a longitudinal study of women enrolled at first visit up to three months after delivery to document their experience during pregnancy and childbirth.

Reproductive health

We are working with CIFF to evaluate the impact of the Agonyora program on uptake of family planning among adolescents and youth, and changes in social norms surrounding gender and sexuality.

Sugira Muryango

Child development

Laterite is Boston College’s data collection partner on the multi-year, mixed-methods evaluation of Sugira Muryango, a child development intervention implemented in Rwanda.

Working with a sample of 1,040 households with at least one child between 6 and 36 months, we collected data from primary caregivers, their intimate partners, and eligible children. Data collection also included anthropometrics measurements and observational assessments of child development using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool.

Capacity statement: Early childhood development (PDF)

Sector lead

Dale Barnhart

Research Director, Kenya

Dr Dale Barnhart is Laterite's Research Director in Kenya and sector lead in Public Health. Her research focuses on the application of epidemiologic methods to program evaluation and implementation science, with special expertise in study design, statistics, and mixed-methods studies. Prior to joining Laterite, Dale spent three years living in Rwanda as an embedded researcher with Partners In Health. In this role, she also supported public health research and research capacity building in Haiti, Malawi, Mexico, and Sierra Leone. Dale holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, and International Affairs from Georgetown University as well as a MS in Biostatistics and ScD in Epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.