The government has reiterated its commitment to advancing Kenya’s vaccine ecosystem by strengthening the link between research, development and industrial-scale production to support national health priorities.
Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, joined his counterpart in the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, during an inaugural meeting focused on translating pharmaceutical and vaccine research into large-scale manufacturing.
The meeting, held at the State Department offices at Railways in Nairobi, marked the beginning of renewed efforts to promote local production of vaccines and diagnostics while supporting the country’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
It brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners and industry players to explore strategies for strengthening Africa’s vaccine research, development and manufacturing ecosystem, as well as enhancing preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Dr. Oluga said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in Africa’s health systems and underscored the need for countries to establish sustainable end-to-end vaccine ecosystems.
He noted that such systems should encompass research, product development, workforce training, regulation, procurement and large-scale manufacturing.
The PS highlighted ongoing government investments in pandemic preparedness, disease surveillance, innovation and vaccine production through key institutions such as the Kenya National Public Health Institute, Kenya BioVax Institute, Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Kenya Institute of Primate Research.
He also pointed to Kenya’s participation in the World Health Organization and Medicines Patent Pool mRNA technology transfer programme, which aims to strengthen local manufacturing capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr. Oluga emphasized that strong collaboration among governments, researchers, development partners and the private sector would be essential in achieving the African Union and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention target of producing 60 percent of vaccines locally by 2040.
He further acknowledged the role of regional and international partners, including the African Union, World Health Organization, International Vaccine Institute, Africa CDC and the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD, in supporting workforce development, regulatory harmonisation, disease surveillance and clinical research.
The PS reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening health systems under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, noting that local vaccine production would play a key role in improving access to essential medicines and enhancing national health security.
By Michael Omondi
