In designing the best responses to HIV and Aids, research is critical as it promotes evidence-based programming and policy formulation. The National AIDS Control Council (NACC) is mandated to provide strategic direction in research for HIV response in Kenya. To promote a coordinated research ecosystem, the NACC has developed the Kenya HIV Research Agenda which outlines research priorities for implementation in order to achieve the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework (KASF) goals.

The Kenya HIV Research Agenda provides guidance on key interventions to address the practical elements of strengthened research coordination, implementation, dissemination and uptake. It takes cognizance of existing mechanisms for quality control including ethics review committees, outlines capacity development options for research, reviews and data analysis and embraces the use of technology to facilitate availability of research findings to programmers, policy makers, students, implementers and communities.

The agenda recognizes Counties as primary utilizers of research and involves them in the identification of research needs and coordination. To inform evidence planning and programming, the Kenya HIV Research Agenda manages a multi-sectoral and interactive web-based Kenya HIV research hub, Communities of Practice (CoP) on KASF priorities and reviews evidence and mechanisms to advise on policy recommendations and practice. It also undertakes staffing and training of research units at national and county levels as relevant with skills in surveillance, statistics and systematic reviews. It also serves as a tool for resource mobilization and allocation for HIV research.