Ernestina Coast

Ernestina Coast is a Professor of Health and International Development at the London School of Economics (LSE), Department of International Development. She specializes in sexual and reproductive health, gender, and development, employing mixed-methods approaches to study health behaviors and policies in sub-Saharan Africa. Her research focuses on improving access to contraception and safe abortion, particularly for adolescents, and addressing structural barriers in healthcare systems.

Education: PhD in Maasai Demography from the University of London (2000). Research interests include reproductive rights, gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, and the intersection of poverty and health. She has led major grants such as the MRC/DFID-funded 'Improving adolescent access to contraception and safe abortion in sub-Saharan Africa' and serves as the thematic lead for sexual and reproductive health on the GAGE initiative.

Key publications explore topics like abortion trajectories, pregnancy recognition, and the socioeconomic dynamics of female genital mutilation. She has advised organizations like DFID, UNAIDS, and the Guttmacher Institute, and is a Board Member of the Guttmacher Institute.

Her grants include projects on Zika and medical abortion, health in conflict zones, and adolescent health policies. Supervises PhD students on health-related topics across multiple countries and directs the MSc in Health & International Development program.