Kenya is dedicated to driving the agenda of local vaccine manufacturing for the African region, health CS Susan Nakhumicha has said.
Speaking on Wednesday when she led a delegation from Kenya on a visit to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in South Korea, the CS called for joint efforts and collaboration between the two countries.
"We recognise the significant role that vaccines play in public health, and as a nation, we are determined to take steps towards manufacturing our own vaccines," Nakhumicha said.
The delegation also toured South Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), vaccine manufacturer SK Bioscience and SD Bioneer, a global leader in diagnostic reagents.
During the visit, Nakhumicha emphasised the importance of engaging with SK Bioscience for potential collaborations on vaccine manufacturing.
The CS who is accompanied by the PS Medical Services Harry Kimtai stressed the importance of strategic partnerships and collaborations.
She noted that collaborations in technology transfer with reputable global manufacturers like SK Bioscience will accelerate the efforts at BioVax and enhance Kenya's vaccine production capabilities.
Kenya aims to become the regional hub for specialized health products and technologies, particularly vaccines for childhood, and adolescent girls, and maternal immunization.
“The East African Community countries present a significant market size of over 150 million doses annually for essential childhood, adolescent girls, and maternal vaccines,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Additionally, with a rising birth rate of over 2.3 per cent per annum, the demand for vaccines is expected to increase,” the ministry added.
To meet this demand, Kenya is actively working to establish the capacity for the 'Fill-and-Finish' production of human vaccines at the Kenya BioVax Institute.
Resources are being mobilized to develop the required human resources capacity, learning, development, and technology transfer in bio-manufacturing.
