Melvin Obadha

Melvin joined the Health Economics Research Centre at the Nuffield Department of Population Health as a DPhil student in October 2019. His research focusses on priority-setting to achieve Universal Health Coverage and is exploring the use of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to define Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage Benefits Package. Melvin is supervised by Associate Professor Apostolos Tsiachristas, Associate Professor Oliver Rivero-Arias, and Professor Edwine Barasa. 

His DPhil is supported by the Clarendon Fund, Oxford-Radcliffe Graduate Scholarship, Nuffield Department of Population Health, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) – Wellcome Trust Research Programme.

Prior to commencing his DPhil, Melvin worked as a choice modeller at the Health Economics Research Unit of the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. He led the design, implementation, and analysis of a discrete choice experiment that elicited the preferences of health care providers for capitation payment mechanism in Kenya. Melvin holds an MSc in Global Health and Development from the University College London (UCL) and a BSc from Kenyatta University in Kenya.

In his spare time, Melvin enjoys rowing, swimming, cycling, and fitness activities. He previously enjoyed a prolific rugby union career that earned him a call up to the Kenya national rugby sevens team. He is currently the ambassador of Kenyan alumni of the International Student House, London.