Dr Regina Keith

I am the Course Leader for MSc in Global Public Health Nutrition and a member of the Community Health, Well being and Resilence research group. I am a full time member of staff running modules on Policy and Governance, Nutrition in Emergencies, Global Challenges and Nutrition Interventions and Programme Planning. I am a nurse midwife, with a PhD in Nutrition, and an MSc in International Health. I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Nurses and a senior fellow of the HEA. I am actively enrolled with the NMC as a nurse and a midwife. I am a member the RCN and the treasurer of the World Public Health Nutrition Association. I have over 40 years' experience in health sector development, with 35 years' experience in International Development in Health, Nutrition, HIV and Social Development. I have worked in 56 countries from household to global interventions. I have 23 years Senior Health Policy experience, leading Global Policy Development and Change. I have lived in Africa for ten years and am an expert in Maternal Child and Newborn Health, Health Financing, Malnutrition and Nutrition in developing countries. I am specifically interested in qualitative research especially in relation to identifying and addressing the demand side barriers to timely utilisation of health services. I have extensive research in health systems strengthening, policy formation, and food security. I have varied experience from public services like the NHS, to Global Health Adviser with NGOs like Save the Children and World Vision International. I have worked with major donors like DFID, NORAID and the EU. Bringing together NGOs and other key stakeholders together to work with WHO, UNICEF and Global health Partnerships including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tb and Malaria (GFATM), GAVI (the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) and the PMNCH (Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health) and many more of the over 100 global health partnerships. I was a core member of the 2005 Countdown to 2015 report and meeting in the UK. I attend the World Health Assembly annually, to feed into global health policy and governance. My research areas of interest are vast including health financing towards universal health coverage, reducing inequity, health in all policies, nutrition and health, setting up global and national systems to ensure communities women children and health workers feed into health plans and policies, addressing imbalances in power and identifying successful public health policies and approaches to reach the poorest populations, moving towards the progressive realization to the right to health. Increasing the number of infants that are exclusively breastfed and supporting a multi-sectoral approaches to social development. I have held numerous senior advisory positions like the Special Adviser for Maternal Health for the IDC (International Development Committee) for the UK Government. Specialties: Strategic Health Planning, Change Management, Capacity Building And Training, Health System And Policy Development Specialist. [especially Global Public Health and Nutrition, Maternal Newborn and Child Health, Infectious diseases prevention, management and control, Primary Health Care, Human Resources for Health, Health Financing towards Universal Coverage of Health and Improving National and Global Health Governance Systems]. We will be hosting the 2024 World Public Health Nutrition Congress, questioning the solutions to improve nutrition globally.

I am also director of Cara International Consulting Ltd. supporting health reform and change management, Maternal and Child Health Programming, Project management, operational research, Health Policy, Health Financing, Health Systems Management including human resource management and motivation, Delivery of Health Services in Difficult Environments, Reproductive Health and HIV, Impact of Macroeconomic Policies on Health, Health financing in low income countries, International Health including Advocacy, Monitoring and Evaluation of health programmes and research, Nursing, midwifery, nurse practitioner, Food security, Nutrition, social determinants of health, health system research and social development and participatory rights based approaches towards development. Experienced Participatory Learning in Action Facilitator.

In 2024 the University of Westminster will be hosting the World Public Health Nutrition congress from June 10-13th in London. Do submit abstracts and attend to Question the present Solutions around Nutrition and Health as we explore the impact of the Decade of Nutrition and how we can achieve the Right to Health Food and Nutrition before 2030. 

Research interests include International Public Health Governance and Leadership, Health Policy, reducing inequities, health in all policies, health and nutrition outcomes through multisectoral approaches, voice and accountability, including women and children communities and health workers in planning and policy determination, operational research around health system strengthening and health reform, health financing, reaching the poorest, primary health care, holding governments to account, regulating industry, successful example of progressive realisation of the right to health and increasing tax bases in developing countries to move towards universal health coverage paid for by taxes and delivered free at the point of access, social protection mechanisms like cash transfers impact on health and nutrition outcomes. Infant and Young Child Feeding and early childhood development as well as the impact of policies on practices in public health and nutrition.

Senior advisory positions and professional memberships

• Fellow of the RCN
• Senior Fellow of the HEA (SfHEA)
• EC and treasurer of World Public Health Nutrition Association (WPHNA), RCN, ICM, ICN, and NMC 
• Adviser to DFID Nutrition Programme in Northern Nigeria (WINNN) (2011)
• CSO representative on IHP National Health Policies M&E working group (2011)
• CSO representative to develop strategy for new Gates funded Decade of Vaccines (2010)
• Northern Civil Society Organisation (CSO) focal point for development of World Bank Health Nutrition and Population (HNP) CSO consultative group (2010)
• CSO representative to GAVI to develop health system strengthening component (SG2) of five year business plan On Countdown to 2015 working group on health systems and policies since 2005 (2007/8)
• Maternal Health Adviser to UK IDC Parliament (2007/8)
• Executive committee member of International Child Health and Poverty Group (2002-2007)
• Social development and health policies adviser for £20 million pound immunisation and PHC programme in Northern Nigeria (PRINN) (2006-2008)
• Editorial team for Real Health News (2005-2007)
• WHO Review of Primary Health Care (PHC) - Meeting of Experts Madrid (2005)
• SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisations) member (2003-2008)
• Core member effective interventions WG-Partnership for Maternal Newborn Child Health Steering Group Member for the Countdown to Child Survival Meeting and Report (2004-2006)
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Board Member (2002-2004)
• Steering group PHM Right to health campaign (2007)
• Ex Committee UN Children's Right to Health Sub group (2001-2008)
• SC UK Health Programme External Advisory team (2007-2009)

For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.